Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has been sworn in for a second term.
Oyebanji and his deputy, Monisade Afuye, took the oath of allegiance and oath of office on Friday at a colourful inauguration ceremony held at the Ekiti Parapo Pavilion in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.
The oaths were administered by the Chief Judge of Ekiti State, Justice Adekanye Ogunmoye.
This marks the beginning of another four-year tenure for the governor and his deputy following their victory in the June 20, 2026, governorship election.
During the ceremony, Oyebanji pledged to build on the achievements of his first term and improve the living conditions of residents through policies and programmes aimed at delivering greater benefits to the people.
The inauguration attracted prominent political leaders and government officials, including Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented President Bola Tinubu at the event.
Shettima arrived in Ado-Ekiti on Friday ahead of the ceremony and was received at the Ekiti Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, Governor Oyebanji and other dignitaries.
Other prominent figures at the ceremony included governors of Kwara, Imo, Sokoto, Kebbi, Ondo and Jigawa states, alongside the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Nentawe Yilwatda.
Also present were the Director-General of the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Abdulaziz Yari, and former Ondo State Governor Olusegun Mimiko.
Members of Shettima’s delegation included the Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Ibrahim Hadejia; Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake; Deputy Governor of Kano State, Aminu Sule Garo; Senator Muntari Dandutse; and Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties in the Office of the Vice President, Aliyu Modibbo Umar.
Akpabio also arrived at the airport at about 10 a.m., leading a delegation of federal lawmakers that included Jibrin and other senators.
The Chairman of the Progressive Governors’ Forum and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, was among the dignitaries who arrived earlier, while former Osun State Governor Bisi Akande also attended the ceremony.
The guests were received by Oyebanji, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele and other senior government officials before proceeding to the inauguration venue.
Oyebanji’s second term follows his victory in the June 20 governorship election, in which he secured 319,224 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Oluwole Oluyede of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who polled 40,543 votes.
Dare Bejide of the African Democratic Party (ADP) came third with 12,872 votes, according to results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The returning officer, Professor Adenike Oladiji, who is the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, announced that 384,940 voters were accredited for the election. The poll recorded 375,777 valid votes and 6,332 rejected votes.
Following the announcement of the results, President Tinubu congratulated Oyebanji on his re-election and commended the people of Ekiti State for what he described as their peaceful and orderly conduct during the poll.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the president also praised security agencies for maintaining law and order throughout the election.
Tinubu described Oyebanji’s victory as a significant political milestone, noting that he had become the first governor in Ekiti State’s history to win re-election and succeed himself since the state was created in 1996.
The president attributed the governor’s victory to his administration’s performance in infrastructure development, agriculture, youth employment, education, healthcare and rural development under the BAO agenda.
He also urged Oyebanji to remain magnanimous in victory and work with stakeholders across political divides to consolidate his achievements during the next four years.