Ekiti D-DAY: 10 parties go for Oyebanji’s office
TEN opposition political parties are in the race to stop the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in today’s governorship election in Ekiti State,
Four senatorial bye-polls in Enugu, Rivers, Ondo and Nasarawa; one House of Representatives and one State Assembly bye-elections in Kano and Kebbi states.
Over 1m voters to decide Oyebanji, 10 others’ fate today
EKITI State Governor Biodun Oyebanji faces challengers from 10 political parties in today’s governorship election, in a contest poised to test political strength, governance record, and voter sentiment across the state’s 16 local government areas.
The election, one of Nigeria’s seven off-cycle governorship contests, will see the incumbent seek a second four-year term on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, with his deputy, Monisade Afuye, retained as running mate. If re-elected, Oyebanji would become the first governor in Ekiti’s history to win two consecutive terms.
OYEBANJI: The front runner
Oyebanji enters the poll as the clear favourite. He won the 2022 governorship election with 187,057 votes, defeating Segun Oni of the SDP and Bisi Kolawole of the PDP, and has since consolidated his grip on the state’s political architecture.
His administration’s six-point Shared Prosperity Agenda, focused on education, healthcare, infrastructure, agriculture, economic growth, and social welfare, has earned broad approval among civil servants, pensioners, youths, and vulnerable groups. His re-election bid has attracted endorsements from former governors Adeniyi Adebayo, Ayodele Fayose, Kayode Fayemi, and Segun Oni, as well as senior legal luminaries Afe Babalola and Wole Olanipekun.
The APC controls all nine National Assembly seats, all 26 seats in the State House of Assembly, all 16 local government councils, and 22 Local Council Development Areas, a structural dominance that gives Oyebanji a formidable electoral machine. Some internal party tension lingers, however, following primaries in which several incumbent lawmakers lost their tickets.
Joseph Anifowose of the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, has withdrawn and endorsed Oyebanji, citing the governor’s record on infrastructure and social services. Eleven candidates now remain.
ADC’S BEJIDE: Coalition candidate
THE ADC’s Ambassador Dare Bejide, a former Secretary to the State Government and ex-Nigerian Ambassador to Canada, has positioned himself as the consensus alternative to both the APC and PDP. The party attracted several opposition heavyweights, including former Deputy Governor Kolapo Olusola-Eleka, former Commissioner for Information Akin Omole, and businessman Funsho Ayeni, giving it a credible profile at the top.
Yet analysts say the ADC’s principal weakness is structural: it lacks the deep ward-level network that converts rally crowds into actual votes. Former Senate President David Mark and former Osun Governor Rauf Aregbesola have both campaigned publicly for Bejide, but translating that high-profile backing into polling unit numbers across all 16 LGAs remains the party’s central challenge.
PDP’S OLUYEDE: Battles without Fayose
PDP Candidate, Dr Wole Oluyede, from Ikere-Ekiti in Ekiti South Senatorial District, hopes to revive a party that has progressively ceded ground in the state. His candidacy carries a regional appeal, no governor has emerged from Ekiti South since the state’s creation, and his hometown remains one of the largest voting centres in the state.
However, the most damaging blow to his campaign came not from the APC but from within: former Governor Ayodele Fayose, the PDP’s most powerful voice in Ekiti, publicly endorsed Oyebanji. Political analysts say that defection has significantly deflated the PDP’s prospects. Oluyede’s running mate, Deji Ogunsakin, is expected to shore up support in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital and highest-turnout zone.
The other candidates
Eight other candidates complete the ballot: Akande Oluwasegun Samuel (AAC), Opeyemi Falegan (Accord), Ayodeji Ojo (ADP), Bidemi Olaiya Awogbemi (APP), Oyebanji Ikusayedegbe Olajuyin (Labour Party), Abegunde Ayobami Blessing (NNPP), Olaniyi Olanrewaju Ayodele (PRP), Owoola Daramola (YPP), and Victor Damilola Adetunji (ZLP). None is considered a serious contender, though their combined vote share in a tight race could yet influence final margins.
With 1.02 million registered voters across 2,445 polling units, today’s result will deliver the clearest verdict yet on Oyebanji’s first term, and set the political tone in Ekiti ahead of 2027.
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