The incumbent Governor of Ekiti State and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Biodun Oyebanji, has established a commanding early lead in the ongoing 2026 Ekiti State governorship election as results continue to emerge from across the state.
TrackNews Online gathered that the candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dare Bejide, suffered a major setback after losing his own polling unit to the incumbent governor.
At Bejide’s polling unit, the APC recorded a landslide victory with 140 votes, while the ADC secured 37 votes. The African Action Congress (AAC) polled three votes, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) managed only two votes.
Governor Oyebanji also cruised to victory at his personal polling unit, PU 003, Ikogosi in Ekiti West Local Government Area, where he garnered 326 votes. Bejide received only two votes at the governor’s polling unit, while the Action Democratic Party (ADP) and AAC secured one vote each. Three ballots were declared void.
However, the PDP governorship candidate, Wole Oludeye, successfully defended his home base, defeating Oyebanji at his polling unit. Oludeye polled 113 votes against the governor’s 84 votes.
Early figures from the result uploads on the Independent National Electoral Commission Result Viewing Portal (IReV), as compiled by the Election Results Analysis Dashboard (ERAD), indicate a strong statewide performance by the APC.
With results from 1,258 out of the state’s 2,445 polling units uploaded as of press time, the APC had amassed 78,979 votes, representing 84.1 percent of the votes counted. The PDP followed with 10,736 votes (11.4 percent), while the ADC secured 2,964 votes (3.2 percent).
The early trend places Governor Oyebanji comfortably ahead of his challengers, reinforcing expectations that the contest may largely favor the incumbent if the pattern continues across the remaining polling units.
The election, involving 1,059,360 registered voters spread across 2,445 polling units, has primarily been viewed as a three-horse race among Oyebanji, Bejide, and Oludeye.
Meanwhile, the exercise has been overshadowed by allegations of vote-buying and financial inducement in several parts of the state.
Earlier in the day, operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission visited Governor Oyebanji’s polling unit around 9:05 a.m. to monitor electoral activities. No arrests were made during the visit.
At Polling Unit 10, Ward B, in Iyin-Ekiti, however, anti-graft officials reportedly faced resistance from voters who rejected allegations of vote-buying and compelled the operatives to leave the area to allow voting to continue.
Despite repeated warnings by INEC and anti-corruption agencies, reports of voter inducement surfaced in several communities. In Aramoko-Ekiti, residents allegedly claimed that party agents distributed ₦10,000 to voters in support of the APC candidate.
Observers also reported witnessing cash-for-vote transactions near polling centres. At Polling Unit 004 in Aramoko-Ekiti, an APC agent was allegedly seen offering ₦10,000 to prospective voters, while an ADC representative reportedly countered with an offer of ₦2,000 to secure support for Bejide.
As collation continues, political observers are closely monitoring developments to determine whether the APC’s early dominance will translate into a final victory for Governor Oyebanji in the keenly contested governorship race.
