Announcing the result in the early hours of Sunday, the Returning Officer, Adenike Oladiji, said Oyebanji polled 319,224 votes to emerge victorious in the election conducted across the state’s 16 local government areas.
According to Oladiji, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Oluwole Oluyede, garnered 40,543 votes, while Dare Bejide of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) secured 12,872 votes.
She stated that 384,940 voters were accredited for the election, with 375,777 valid votes recorded. A total of 6,332 votes were rejected, bringing the overall number of votes cast to 382,109.
The declaration concluded a keenly contested governorship race that saw residents of Ekiti State troop out on Saturday to elect their governor in an exercise largely regarded as peaceful, despite reports of technical issues and allegations of irregularities in some areas.
Complaints Over BVAS, Alleged Irregularities
Before the final declaration, the election featured a mix of orderly voting, logistical challenges and claims of electoral misconduct. Nevertheless, election observers and many voters praised security agencies for maintaining calm throughout most parts of the state.
INEC disclosed that voting commenced in all 2,445 polling units designated for the election. The commission said 2,257 polling units, representing 92.31 per cent, opened before 8:30 a.m., while 188 polling units, or 7.69 per cent, experienced slight delays but began operations before 10:30 a.m.
The commission also began uploading results from polling units to its Result Viewing Portal (IReV) following the completion of voting and counting in several locations.
Speaking after voting at Polling Unit 006, the PDP candidate, Oluyede, expressed concern over developments at Ugele/Arokun Ward in Ikere Local Government Area. He alleged that numerous voters were unable to cast their ballots due to challenges linked to the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
The PDP flagbearer also accused some individuals of voter harassment and intimidation in the ward.
Earlier, elderly voters at the same polling unit complained about difficulties encountered during accreditation and urged INEC to address the BVAS-related problems promptly.
ADC candidate Bejide also raised concerns about alleged irregularities during the election.
However, Governor Oyebanji dismissed the allegations, insisting that anyone making such claims should provide evidence. Speaking to journalists after voting at Polling Unit 003, Okelele, Ikogosi-Ekiti, in Ekiti West Local Government Area, he described the election as satisfactory and encouraged eligible voters to come out peacefully and exercise their civic responsibility.
Also commenting on the process, the Commissioner of Police overseeing election security, Abayomi Shogunle, said no incidents of vote-buying were reported to the police.
Voting concluded before 3 p.m. in many polling centres, after which sorting and counting commenced. At Polling Unit 008 in Ugele/Arokun Ward, Ikere Local Government Area, counting started around 2:37 p.m. but later became tense as party agents and supporters disagreed over the validity of some ballot papers.
At Polling Unit 006, where the PDP candidate voted, voting continued beyond 4 p.m. following delays earlier in the day. Security personnel later intervened to restore order after tensions rose at the centre.
Observers Praise Participation, Raise Concerns
Election observers generally commended the conduct of the poll while highlighting some procedural concerns.
An observer and First Vice President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Sebastian Anyia, described the exercise as peaceful and orderly, noting that voter turnout was encouraging. He expressed confidence that the smooth process witnessed during accreditation would continue across all 16 local government areas until the conclusion of the election.