The Ekiti State Governor and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Biodun Oyebanji, has won all the 16 local government areas in the Ekiti State governorship poll, according to results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the early hours of Sunday.
The results announced by the Returning Officer, Professor Adenike Oladiji, showed that Oyebanji recorded a clean sweep across the state, defeating his closest challengers, the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Wole Oluyede, and the African Democratic Congress candidate, Dare Bejide.
With the outcome, Oyebanji has set a record as the first governor in Ekiti State’s history to win re-election back-to-back and recorded the highest votes in any governorship poll in the state since 1999.
The APC candidate also became only the second governorship candidate to win all local government areas in an election in the state after former governor Ayodele Fayose, who recorded the score in 2014 governorship election.
Oyebanji’s victory extended beyond traditional APC strongholds, as he also triumphed in Ikere, the home council of PDP candidate, Oluyede, and Ekiti Southwest council area, the home base of ADC candidate Bejide.
According to the results announced, Oyebanji polled his highest votes in Ado Local Government Area, where he secured 38,026 votes against PDP’s 3,817 and ADC’s 1,054.
In Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area, he garnered 29,278 votes, while he scored 28,258 votes in Ekiti West, 26,508 votes in Ikole, 26,359 votes in Ekiti East and 25,506 votes in Ijero.
The governor secured victories in Moba, Oye, Ido/Osi, Ayekire, Ise/Orun, Ikere, Emure, Efon and Ilejemeje local government areas.
The PDP candidate failed to win any local government, including his native Ikere council, where Oyebanji polled 11,116 votes against Oluyede’s 9,872 votes.
Similarly, ADC standard bearer Bejide lost in Ekiti South-West, his home local government, where he scored 1,076 votes compared to Oyebanji who garnered 14,705 votes.
The APC candidate recorded victories in strongholds of his main challengers, including Ikere local government, the home council of PDP candidate, Wole Oluyede and Ekiti Southwest, the home council of ADC candidate, Dare Bejide.
Results announced at the collation centre showed that Oyebanji secured 38,026 votes in Ado Local Government, the highest tally recorded so far, while polling 29,278 votes in Irepodun/Ifelodun, 28,258 votes in Ekiti West, 26,508 votes in Ikole, 26,359 votes in Ekiti East and 25,506 votes in Ijero Local Government Areas.
He also won in Moba, Oye, Ido/Osi, Ayekire, Ise/Orun, Ikere, Emure, Efon and Ilejemeje local government areas by comfortable margins.
The Peoples Democratic Party candidate trailed behind in all the local government areas announced, while the ADC candidate also failed to secure victory in any council, including his home Ekiti South-West.
The presentation of results began shortly after the commencement of state collation at about 12:30 a.m. on Sunday, with local government collation officers taking turns to announce figures from their respective councils before the State Returning Officer.
At Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area, the Collation Officer, Prof. Michael Adeyemi, reported that voting was cancelled in one polling unit due to over-voting, but noted that the incident did not substantially affect the overall outcome of the election in the council.
Reacting to the victory, the senator representing Ekiti North, who was the agent of the governor at collaboration centre, described the victory as well deserved.
He said that Ekiti people have repaid the governor with their votes, saying that they should expect more dividends of democracy in his second term.
He urged other contestants to support the governor to serve the people, adding that there is no victor, no vanquished, say Ekiti people are the winners.
