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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Biodun Oyebanji, as the winner of the 2026 Ekiti State governorship election.

The Returning Officer for the Ekiti State governorship election, Adenike Oladiji, who declared the results at about 3:13 a.m. on Sunday, said that Oyebanji polled 319,224 votes.

Oladiji, a professor and Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, said that the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Oluwole Oluyede, scored 40,543 votes, while Dare Bejide of the African Democratic Party (ADP) polled 12,872 votes.

According to her, a total of 384,940 voters were accredited for the election, with 375,777 valid votes, 6,332 rejected votes, and total votes cast.

Voting, which began at about 8:31 a.m, ended officially at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, with more than 300,000 voters casting their ballots.

INEC has declared Biodun Oyebanji of the APC as the winner of the 2026 Ekiti State governorship election.

The Returning Officer for the election, Professor Adenike Oladiji, said the incumbent governor polled 319,224 votes.

She also said that while the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Oluwole Oluyede, scored 40,543 votes, Dare Bejide of the African Democratic Party (ADP) polled 12,872 votes.

2:25 a.m.

Following the conclusion of the collation of results from the 16 LGAs, the Returning Officer for the Ekiti State governorship election and Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Professor Adenike Oladiji, says that the results will be transferred to the Form EC8D.

2:22 a.m.

Moba LGA

ADC- 994

APC – 20,500

PDP – 1,572

2:19 a.m.

Ekiti East

ADC- 1,730

APC – 26,359

PDP – 2,795

2:15 a.m.

Irepodun/Ifelodun LGA

ADC- 511

APC – 29,278

PDP – 2,119

The collation officer said that the result from one of the polling units was cancelled due to over-voting.

2:08 a.m.

Ikole LGA

ADC- 812

APC – 26,508

PDP – 750

2:04 a.m.

Aiyekire (Gbonyin) LGA

ADC- 314

APC – 17,133

PDP – 1,563

1:52 a.m.

Oye LGA

ADC- 998

APC – 18,975

PDP – 2,891

1:49 a.m.

Ise/Orun LGA

ADC- 365

APC – 12,908

PDP – 1,627

1:40 a.m.

Ilejemeje LGA

ADC- 579

APC – 8,984

PDP – 1,243

1:37 a.m.

Ado Ekiti LGA

ADC- 1,054

APC – 38,026

PDP – 3,817

1:31 a.m.

Ekiti West LGA

ADC- 674

APC – 28,258

PDP – 3,644

1:26 a.m.

Ido-Osi LGA

ADC- 561

APC – 17,901

PDP – 1,449

1:22 a.m.

Ekiti South-West LGA

ADC- 1,076

APC – 14,705

PDP – 1,800

1:13 a.m.

Ikere LGA

ADC- 245

APC – 11,116

PDP – 9,892

1:12 a.m.

Ijero LGA

ADC- 2,026

APC – 25,506

PDP – 2,479

1 a.m.

Efon LGA

ADC- 201

APC – 8,742

PDP – 2051

12:59 a.m.

Emure LGA

ADC – 732

APC – 14,325

PDP – 851

12:57 a.m. The announcement of results from the LGAs has begun.

12:37 a.m. The Returning Officer for the Ekiti State governorship election is the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Professor Adenike Oladiji.

12:35 a.m. INEC has begun the collation of results of the Ekiti State governorship election. The exercise is taking place in Ado Ekiti, the state capital.

11:51 p.m. As of 11:50 p.m., 97.18 per cent of the Ekiti State governorship election results have been uploaded on the INEC IReV portal. Results have been submitted from 2,376 out of 2,445 polling units.

9:27 p.m. The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ekiti State, Bunmi Omoseyindemi, has said that the official collation of the governorship election results from the LGAs will commence at 10 p.m. on Saturday.

9:21 p.m. The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Bunmi Omoseyindemi, has explained that 19 political parties were contained in the ballot paper for the Ekiti election to avoid the financial cost of printing fresh ballot papers due to court orders.

8:32 p.m. Shogunle also says one person was arrested for ballot box snatching during the election.

8:23 p.m. Commissioner of Police in charge of security for the Ekiti State governorship election, Abayomi Shogunle, says the police have not received any report of vote buying in the exercise so far.

7:59 p.m. Yiaga Africa’s Samson Itodo says 24 incidents of violence were reported across 10 local government areas during the ongoing Ekiti State governorship election.

4:35 p.m. INEC has commenced the upload of polling unit results from the Ekiti State governorship election to its Result Viewing Portal (IReV), after the official close of voting.

As of 6p.m. on Saturday, the commission had uploaded 846 results out of the 2,445 expected polling unit results, representing 34.60 per cent of the total.

4:30 p.m. INEC says that all 2,445 PUs were successfully opened for the governorship election earlier in the day. According to the body, 2,257 PUs (92.31 per cent) opened on schedule before 8:30 a.m, while 188 PUs (7.69 per cent) experienced minor delays but commenced voting before 10:30 a.m.

4 p.m. Voting was still ongoing as of 4 p.m. at Polling Unit 006, where the PDP candidate cast his vote, as some of the voters insisted that they must exercise their civic responsibility.

3:35 p.m. Channels Television correspondent provides an update on the election as collation begins at different polling units in the state.

3:40 p.m. Chairman of the Ekiti All Progressives Congress (APC) Campaign Organisation and Governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani, has said that the outcome of today’s governorship election will be a referendum on the performance of the President Bola Tinubu government, its acceptance, and the popularity of the party in Ekiti State.

3:13 p.m. Yiaga Africa urges citizens and stakeholders to keep a close eye on the preparedness, transparency, and neutrality in the Ekiti State governorship election.

2:43 p.m. Sorting of votes has commenced at Polling Unit 001, Ado D Ijigbo in Ado LGA. Various party agents and security agents are currently monitoring the exercise.

2:37 p.m. Sorting and counting commenced at Polling Unit 008, Ugele/Arokun ward, Ikere Local Government Area.

But the exercise became rowdy at the polling unit as party officials and members argued over the validity of ballot papers.

1:50 p.m. Social Democratic Party candidate Olugbenga Obafemi has cast his vote in Ekiti governorshjip election.

12:31 p.m. Candidate of the APC and incumbent governor Oyebanji has dismissed allegations of voter harassment and intimidation raised by the PDP’s Oluyede, describing the conduct of the election as satisfactory.

Speaking with journalists after casting his vote at Polling Unit 003, Okelele, Ikogosi-Ekiti in Ekiti West Local Government Area, the governor, who was accompanied by his wife, Olayemi, said anyone making such allegations must provide evidence to substantiate their claims.

He urged eligible voters who had yet to vote to come out and discharge their civic responsibility peacefully.

11:05 A voter and resident of Ikogosi, Fatokun Babatunde, commends INEC and security agencies for the peaceful and orderly conduct of the election process so far.

He also urges the people of Ekiti State to reject violence and uphold peace, stressing that despite political differences, they remain one people united by a common heritage and shared future.

10:19 a.m. Polling Unit 003 in Ikogosi, Ekiti West Local Government Area, awaits the arrival of the APC governorship candidate and incumbent governor, Biodun Oyebanji, who is expected to cast his ballot shortly.

Channels TV correspondent Eyitope Kuteyi reports a surging crowd at the polling unit, alongside a heavy security presence comprising personnel of the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

10:10 a.m. Africa Democratic Congress candidate Dare Bejide has cast his vote in the ongoing Ekiti State governorship election.

Bejide, however, raised concerns about alleged vote buying

10 a.m. An observer and First Vice President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Sebastian Anyia, says the election process has so far been peaceful and orderly, with voter turnout proving encouraging.

He expresses optimism that the smooth conduct witnessed will be sustained across all 16 local government areas until the conclusion of the exercise.

9:58 a.m. The PDP governorship candidate, Oluwole Oluyede, has cast his vote in the ongoing Ekiti State governorship election.

He voted in polling unit 006 in Ugele/Arokun ward, Ikere LGA.

Oluwole expressed dissatisfaction with the conduct of the exercise, saying that most voters at his polling unit had yet to cast their votes due to a problem with the BVAS.

9:56 a.m. Peoples Democratic Party candidate Oluwole Oluyede has arrived at his polling unit in Ikere LGA to ast his vote in the ongoing Ekiti State governorship election.

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A fresh controversy has engulfed the Ekiti State governorship election less than 24 hours before voters head to the polls, with the Social Democratic Party (SDP) accusing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of actions it claims are capable of undermining the credibility and transparency of the electoral process.

The opposition party on Friday alleged that despite officially receiving access credentials from INEC to upload its polling unit agents, the electoral umpire failed to activate the portal required for the exercise, effectively preventing the party from deploying agents across polling units in the state.

The allegation comes amid growing political tension and follows the circulation of reports claiming that the SDP had withdrawn from Saturday’s governorship election—claims the party has strongly dismissed as false, malicious and politically motivated.

In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Araba Rufus Aiyenigba, the SDP insisted that its candidate, Ambassador Isaac Adebayo Alade, remains the duly nominated and INEC-recognised governorship candidate and is fully participating in the election.

The party described reports of its withdrawal as a calculated attempt to mislead voters, suppress support for the SDP and create confusion ahead of the poll.

However, it was the party’s allegations against INEC that drew the strongest reaction.

Questioning the Commission’s handling of its polling agents’ accreditation process, the SDP asked why access credentials were issued if the party would ultimately be denied the opportunity to use them.

“Why issue access codes if there was never any intention to permit their use?” the party queried.

It further argued that denying a recognised political party the ability to deploy agents across polling units raises serious questions about fairness, transparency and equal participation in the electoral process.

The SDP warned that any election conducted under circumstances where opposition parties are allegedly prevented from effectively monitoring the voting process risks losing public confidence and legitimacy.

Political analysts say the allegations could heighten concerns over the management of the election if the issues raised are not promptly clarified by the electoral commission.

The development has also intensified scrutiny of the governorship contest, with stakeholders closely watching whether INEC will respond to the claims before voting begins.

The SDP maintained that Ambassador Alade’s participation in the INEC-sponsored Peace Accord and his inclusion among recognised candidates remain incontrovertible evidence that the party is actively contesting the election.

As Ekiti voters prepare to decide who governs the state for the next four years, the latest dispute has injected fresh uncertainty into an already closely watched election, placing INEC under pressure to address concerns over the integrity of the process and reassure stakeholders of a level playing field.

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Barely 24 hours to the governorship poll, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) has withdrawn support for its governorship candidate, Peter Obafemi, and adopted Governor Biodun Oyebanji.

Announcing the decision at a press conference in Ado Ekiti yesterday, the SDP State Chairman, Ayodele Bamikole, said the endorsement followed consultations with party leaders, stakeholders and members across the 16 local government areas of the state.

Bamikole explained that the party assessed the candidates in the election and concluded that the governor had demonstrated quality leadership qualities and unalloyed commitment to the development of the state.

He said: “On behalf of all members of the Social Democratic Party in Ekiti State, I formally and enthusiastically endorse His Excellency, Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji, and his deputy, Mrs Monisade Afuye, in their bid for re-election in Saturday’s governorship election.

“This decision was not taken lightly. It followed broad consultations and a thorough evaluation of the political landscape as well as the performance of the various candidates seeking the mandate of the people.”

The SDP chairman said the party’s decision was further influenced by what he described as the inactivity of its candidate, whom he said failed to effectively engage party members or mount a visible campaign after emerging as the party’s flag bearer through a substitution process.

He noted that the party could not in good conscience continue to support a candidate who had failed to demonstrate the commitment and capacity required for such an important electoral contest.

Bamikole stated that Oyebanji’s stellar record in office convinced the party that continuity would serve the best interests of Ekiti people.

Also, the candidate of the Zenith Labour Party(ZLP), Victor Adetunji, has withdrawn from the race and declared support for Oyebanji.

Adetunji announced his decision in a statement yesterday, saying the move was borne out of the need to place the interest and development of Ekiti above partisan considerations.

The ZLP standard-bearer said his withdrawal followed extensive consultations with party leaders, political associates and supporters across the state’s 16 local government areas.

Adetunji explained that the decision was taken after careful assessment of the political situation in the state and the supersonic performance of the Oyebanji-led administration.

Adetunji noted that Oyebanji had demonstrated commitment to the development of the state through policies and programmes aimed at improving infrastructure, healthcare delivery, education and the welfare of residents.

He said that the progress already recorded by the Governor Oyebanji-led APC administration should be consolidated through continuity in governance.

He urged members of the Zenith Labour Party and his supporters across the state to throw their weight behind the governor and vote massively for him in Saturday’s election.

“I now call on all Zenith Labour Party supporters across the state to unite and vote for Governor Biodun Oyebanji. Let us continue to support his efforts to transform Ekiti into a land of pride for all of us,” he stated.

He added that politics should be driven by the collective aspirations of the people rather than personal ambition,stressing that his decision was informed by his desire to see Ekiti continue on the path of peace and sustainable development.