Gov Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State.
By Clifford Ndujihe & Rotimi Ojomoyela
THE journey to the June 20, 2026 Ekiti State governorship election did not begin with the blowing of the official campaign whistle. For Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, the battle was joined the very day he took his oath of office on October 16, 2022.
While political pundits across the country often view incumbent re-elections as slippery terrain characterised by high-wire intrigues and unpredictable voter backlash, Oyebanji’s resounding victory at the weekend appears like the outcome of a mathematically calculated political blueprint.
In a state historically notorious for its volatile, fast-shifting political loyalties and a deep-seated resistance to political continuity, the All Progressives Congress, APC, helmsman did something rare: he replaced structural friction with deliberate consensus building, which delivered massive votes for him across the state. He polled 319,224 votes to floor his closest marker, Dr Wole Oluyede of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who got 40,543 votes. The African Democratic Congress, ADC, standard bearer, Oluwadare Bejide, secured 12,872 votes.
