#EkitiDecides: Every household must feel my second term, Oyebanji vows after landslide victory

Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has promised that his second term in office will deliver greater impact across every household in the state.

Oyebanji made the pledge after the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, declared him winner of Saturday’s governorship election.

The governor, who ran on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, described his victory as a humbling vote of confidence from the people of Ekiti.

He said the outcome of the election showed that residents had chosen continuity, stability and development.

According to him, the message from voters across the state was clear.

Oyebanji said the scale of the victory placed a greater responsibility on his administration to work harder and ensure that the benefits of governance reach more people.

He said the mandate given to him was not merely a political victory, but a call to deepen development across communities.

“This mandate means that our work must touch every household even deeper,” the governor said.

He also declared that there were no winners or losers after the election, insisting that the entire state must now unite behind the task of development.

Oyebanji said Ekiti people had spoken with one voice from urban centres to remote communities, adding that the result reflected their desire for peace, progress and opportunities.

He promised to continue to lead with humility, fairness and dedication.

The INEC Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Adenike Oladiji, declared Oyebanji winner at about 3:13 a.m. on Sunday.

Oladiji, who is the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, said Oyebanji polled 319,224 votes.

His closest challenger, Oluwole Oluyede of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, secured 40,543 votes, while Dare Bejide of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, came third with 12,872 votes.

INEC also announced that 384,940 voters were accredited for the election.

The commission said 375,777 valid votes were recorded, while 6,332 ballots were rejected, bringing the total votes cast to 382,109.

Oyebanji’s victory gave the APC a sweeping win across the state’s 16 local government areas.

The election was largely peaceful, although there were reports of technical challenges and allegations of irregularities in some locations.

With the declaration, Oyebanji is now set for a second term in office, while attention is expected to shift to post-election reactions from opposition parties, candidates and stakeholders.

The governor, however, appealed for unity, saying the future of Ekiti must now come before political differences.