Ekiti gov poll: Oyebanji hails voters, promises inclusive governance

Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, on Monday, expressed appreciation to the people of the state for their overwhelming support, which culminated in his re-election in the June 20 governorship poll.

The governor recorded an overwhelming victory in the June 20 governorship election, having won in all the 177 wards and 16 local government areas of the state in the poll.

While announcing the final results as contained in Form EC8E, the Independent National Electoral Commission disclosed that Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress secured 319,224 votes to defeat the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Wole Oluyede, who garnered 40,543 votes.

The candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Oluwadare Bejide, came a distant third with 12,872 votes.

Oyebanji, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Yinka Oyebode, in Ado Ekiti, on Monday, also invited the candidates of the PDP, Dr Oluyede and the ADC, Bejide, “to join hands with him in the task of building a more prosperous Ekiti State.”

Speaking on his victory, Oyebanji thanked the Ekiti people for standing united in giving him a renewed four-year mandate and for ensuring that the election was conducted in a peaceful and orderly manner across all the 16 local government areas of the state.

He said he remained indebted to the Ekiti people for the historic re-election and for setting what he described as a benchmark for peaceful elections in the country.

The governor noted that Saturday’s election was peaceful “because of the exemplary conduct of the people before, during, and after the electioneering period, which lasted about three months.”

He commended leaders and stakeholders across all segments of society for their roles in sustaining peace.

The governor said, “I owe all Ekiti sons and daughters, at home and in the diaspora, a debt of gratitude for their overwhelming support and for the fresh mandate to serve for another four years. This is truly humbling, and I do not take the trust for granted.

“Very importantly, I thank Ekitikete for their deliberate commitment to ensuring a peaceful election, devoid of violence or bloodshed, thereby setting a new standard for electoral conduct.

“Our profound appreciation goes to our traditional rulers for promoting peace in their domains, as well as to leaders of political parties and religious bodies for preaching and exemplifying peaceful coexistence.

“We also extend our sincere gratitude to former governors of the state, Otunba Niyi Adebayo, Chief Ayodele Fayose, Engr Segun Oni and Dr Kayode Fayemi, for their support for the administration and commitment to the unity and progress of Ekiti State.

“Special thanks to serving and former members of the National and State Assemblies, members of the State Executive Council, the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, and the Campaign Council led by the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele.

“We commend the heads and personnel of all security agencies, including the Army, Police, DSS, and other paramilitary bodies, for their professionalism and for the effective inter- agency collaboration in ensuring peace before, during, and after the election.

“We are equally grateful to members of our great party, the All Progressives Congress, for their dedication and magnanimity in victory, as well as to leaders of labour unions, workers, teachers, local government employees, the media, youth and students’ bodies, artisans, market women, transport unions, and commercial motorcyclists.”

Oyebanji also noted the significant improvement in the conduct of the election by INEC, describing it as a marked advancement over previous exercises in the state.

He attributed this to the dedication of INEC staff and the impact of the new Electoral Act signed into law by President Bola Tinubu.

The governor reiterated his commitment to working harder and more efficiently to deliver greater dividends of democracy in his second term.

He also expressed gratitude to God for the successes recorded by his administration over the past three years and eight months.

Reacting to the victory, the Olukere of Odo Oja Ikere Ekiti, Oba Ayodele Obasoyin, congratulated Oyebanji and described his victory as designed by God.

Obasoyin said Oyebanji’s re-election was a testimony of his impressive performance in different sectors, especially in the areas of infrastructure, education, health, agriculture and human capital development.

The monarch, in a statement in Ado Ekiti on Monday, expressed delight that “Oyebanji has broken the jinx as the first governor in Ekiti State’s history to win two consecutive governorship elections in a row since the state’s creation about 29 years ago.

“He is also the first governor to secure the highest number of votes ever recorded in Ekiti’s electoral history, the first governor in Ekiti to enjoy the support of all his predecessors, regardless of political party affiliation and the first governor to be elected and re-elected under the provisions of the new Electoral Act.”

The traditional ruler wished Oyebanji the best and expressed strong belief that his leadership would bring about positive changes and lasting benefits to the state.

RHA congratulates Oyebanji

The Renewed Hope Ambassadors, led by its Director-General and Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodimma, congratulated Oyebanji on his landslide victory, attributing the outcome to his performance in office and the impact of the Renewed Hope reforms across the country.

In a statement issued on June 22, 2026, and signed by the Director of Media and Publicity of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, Tunde Rahman, the ambassadors praised the efforts of party leaders and stakeholders that contributed to the electoral success.

They also commended the people of Ekiti State for their orderly and peaceful participation in the governorship election.

“The Renewed Hope Ambassadors heartily congratulate Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji on his landslide victory in Saturday’s Ekiti State governorship election.

“We also congratulate the South-west Zonal Coordinator of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors, who is also the Chairman of the Nigerian Ports Authority, Chief Dayo Adeyeye, the Ekiti State Coordinator, and 16 local government coordinators on this victory.

“We applaud the people of Ekiti  State for a peaceful, transparent, and well-attended poll.

“The RH Ambassadors commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whose bold reforms and policies created the enabling environment for victory at the polls,” the statement read.

It added that the result reflected the Ekiti people’s confidence in Oyebanji’s Shared Prosperity Agenda and Tinubu’s Renewed Hope vision.

“As RH Ambassadors, we reaffirm our commitment to mobilise support for policies that deepen development in Ekiti and across the country.

“We urge the governor to remain inclusive and magnanimous in victory as he works to unite all Ekiti people for greater progress,” the statement added.

S’West APC reacts

The South-West APC, on Monday, commended Ekiti voters for trooping out in large numbers to elect Oyebanji for another term, adding that the development, again, confirmed the people of the state as informed minds who desire the best for their state and country at all times.

The party, in a statement issued by its Zonal Publicity Secretary, Ayobami Afolabi, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, described the feat recorded by Oyebanji as “not only unprecedented but a testament to the fact that most Nigerians appreciated the quality leadership being offered by both the governor and President Tinubu.”

“About 90 per cent of the total votes cast in the 16 local government councils across Ekiti State on Saturday went to the candidate of our great party, and this speaks volumes of the decision of the good people of the state to keep faith with the broom party.

“We shall not take this for granted as Governor Oyebanji and other elected officials from the state have again been challenged to do more in terms of quality leadership, innovation and effective service delivery,” the statement noted.

The party believed that the Osun governorship election in less than two months would be another opportunity for the voters to return to mainstream politics and elect a governor they can be proud of.

Firm outlines data-driven strategy behind campaign

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Political consulting and campaign management firm, Monan Innovation, has outlined the role it played in the re-election campaign of Oyebanji, saying its deployment of technology, voter intelligence and data-driven strategies contributed to strengthening voter engagement across the state.

The firm, in a statement issued on Monday, said it was engaged by the APC campaign to support voter outreach, campaign planning and communication efforts ahead of the governorship election.

According to Monan Innovation, its team was deployed across the 16 local government areas of the state to identify registered voters, gather field intelligence and establish communication channels with communities.

Speaking on the company’s involvement, Chief Executive Officer, Mrs Moji Yakubu, said the objective was to make political engagement more strategic and evidence-based.

“Our approach is centred on understanding the mindset of the electorate and helping campaign teams make informed, data-driven decisions. This enables resources to be deployed more effectively and improves voter engagement,” Yakubu said.

She explained that the firm’s campaign framework integrated pre-campaign research, campaign monitoring and post-election analysis to support decision-making with verifiable data.

According to her, voter research and grassroots intelligence helped campaign managers gain deeper insights into voter demographics, local concerns and public sentiment, enabling messages and interventions to be tailored to specific communities.

“Campaign research helps identify trends among voters, assess public perception and determine the most effective communication channels for reaching different segments of the electorate. We believe that understanding voters is fundamental to building meaningful political engagement,” she added.

Yakubu further disclosed that Monan Innovation introduced a range of technology-driven solutions during the campaign, including automatic remote-controlled mobile stage trucks fitted with giant LED screens.

She said the innovation was designed to improve campaign mobility and bring campaign activities closer to communities across the state.

“The mobile stage units allowed campaign teams to move seamlessly between locations. They transformed into fully functional campaign stages during events and reverted to mobile units immediately after programmes. This reduced logistical challenges and improved operational efficiency,” she said.

According to her, the LED-equipped platforms were used during campaign tours across Ekiti State and at the APC mega rally in Ado-Ekiti attended by Vice President Kashim Shettima and other party leaders.

Also commenting on the firm’s contribution, Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, described Monan Innovation as a team of innovative young professionals leveraging technology to strengthen political campaigns and voter engagement.

Oluyede rejects result

Oluyede has rejected the result of the election declared by INEC.

This was made known in a statement in Ado Ekiti on Monday by the Director of Media and Communications, Oluyede Campaign Organisation, Chief Sanya Atofarati.

Recall that the ADC candidate, Bejide, had on Monday rejected the result, saying, “My immediate reaction is to reject the result of the election in entirety, because, in my view, the exercise conducted on Saturday was not credible.”

On Monday, Atofarati stated that the Oluyede Campaign Organisation outfit “hereby unequivocally rejects the results announced by the INEC in respect of the just concluded Ekiti State Governorship Election.”

He assured PDP members, supporters and Ekiti people that “we remain committed to the pursuit of justice through all lawful and democratic means available to us.

“We urge our members, supporters and indeed all lovers of democracy to remain calm, peaceful and law-abiding while we continue to consult widely and take appropriate steps to defend the mandate freely given to our candidate.”

The statement noted that the declared outcome did not reflect the true will and democratic aspirations of the people of Ekiti State.

UK commends Ekiti voters

The British High Commission in Abuja has congratulated voters in Ekiti State for their participation in the 2026 governorship election, while highlighting areas requiring improvement ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.

In a statement issued on Monday, the commission praised the peaceful conduct of the June 20 election and congratulated Oyebanji of the APC on his re-election.

“The British High Commission in Abuja congratulates the voters in Ekiti State for their participation in the governorship election held on 20 June 2026 and for their commitment to exercising their democratic rights.

“We also offer our congratulations to Governor Abiodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress on his re-election,” the statement said.

The commission commended INEC, security agencies and other stakeholders for delivering what it described as a peaceful and orderly electoral process.

It noted that the election was the first major test of the Electoral Act 2026 and its accompanying guidelines, adding that British High Commission observers engaged key stakeholders, including police officials and INEC representatives, before the poll to assess implementation of the new legal framework.

“On the day of the election, our observers witnessed positive collaboration between INEC officials and security agencies, which played an important role in ensuring voting was mostly peaceful,” the statement added.

The commission, however, identified challenges around accessibility, technology and electoral integrity that it said must be addressed before future elections.

While commending efforts to prioritise vulnerable voters at several polling units, the British High Commission said many voting locations remained inaccessible to persons with disabilities.

“While our team noted the prioritisation of vulnerable voters at several polling units, which is commendable, the physical location and set-up of most polling units visited were inaccessible to voters with disabilities,” it said.

The commission urged electoral stakeholders to strengthen collaboration and replicate successful practices across all polling units ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The observers also raised concerns over delays involving the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System at some polling units, warning that technical failures could affect voter confidence.

“Our observers also noted delays to the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System at some polling units, which slowed down voting. Technical issues risk undermining voter confidence in electoral systems and can discourage turnout,” the statement said.

Beyond logistical challenges, the commission expressed concern over reported cases of vote trading and interference by party agents during the election.

“Our observation team were concerned to see instances of vote trading and interference by party agents at polling units visited.

“Vote trading erodes public confidence and undermines the democratic process. We call on all actors to take urgent steps to address this corrosive practice,” it stated.

Looking ahead to the next off-cycle governorship election in Osun State, the British High Commission called on INEC, security agencies and political actors to apply lessons from Ekiti.

The commission said the credibility of Nigeria’s next elections would be critical to strengthening democratic institutions and maintaining public confidence.=

“As Nigeria looks towards the 2027 general elections, our partnership remains as important as ever.

“The credibility of the next elections will be vital for public confidence in democratic institutions, for Nigeria’s continued progress, and for its leadership role across Africa,” it stated.

The United Kingdom, it added, remained committed to working with the Nigerian government, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to support credible elections and strengthen democratic accountability.