Governor Biodun Oyebanji has etched his name in gold as the first Ekiti State governor to break the dreaded second-term jinx, clinching a resounding re-election bid in Saturday’s governorship poll.
The Returning Officer, Professor Adenike Oladiji, declared the APC standard-bearer winner after he polled an overwhelming 319,224 votes, trouncing his closest rival, Wole Oluyede of the PDP, who managed a paltry 40,543 votes, while ADC’s Ambassador Dare Bejide trailed with 12,872 votes.
In an interview with journalists, Governor Oyebanji dedicated the triumph to the people of Ekiti, describing it as a collective victory for democracy and progressive governance.
The election saw 384,940 accredited voters out of 988,251 registered, with 382,109 total votes cast, 375,777 valid votes, and 6,332 rejected ballots.
Political analysts are already calling this victory a watershed moment, as Oyebanji becomes the first sitting governor in the state’s history to secure a second term—a feat that had eluded his predecessors since the creation of the state.
The Accord Party candidate, Opeyemi Falegan, polled a distant 564 votes, further cementing the APC’s dominance in the state.
Oyebanji, who campaigned on his record of infrastructural development, workers’ welfare, and agricultural revolution, now prepares to lead Ekiti State for another four years of what he calls “unprecedented transformation.”
