Voting is underway in Ekiti State today as residents decide whether to grant Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) a second term or hand power to a rival. The closely watched governorship election features 13 other candidates.
How the vote is unfolding
Accreditation and voting began at 8:30 a.m. across all 16 local government areas, with polls scheduled to close at 2:30 p.m. Any voter already in the queue by closing time will still be allowed to cast their ballot, INEC says.
Police reported an “unprecedented” high turnout in the first hour of voting, in line with pre-election projections. The exercise is spread across 177 wards and 2,445 polling units statewide.
The candidates and the stakes
Incumbent Governor Oyebanji, who took office in October 2022, is the man to beat. His main challenger is Dr Oluwole Oluyede of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), a medical doctor and investor, among a field of 13 contenders.
History adds intrigue: since the Fourth Republic began in 1999, no Ekiti governor has won two consecutive terms. A win for Oyebanji would break that long-standing pattern.
The numbers behind the poll
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says 1,059,360 voters are registered for the election, up from 987,647 in 2023. Permanent Voter Card collection reached 97.1 per cent, signalling strong potential participation.
INEC moved sensitive materials, including ballot papers and Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines, to all 16 LGAs ahead of the poll, and has urged residents to report vote-buying or security threats to its contact centre.
What happens next
After voting closes, results will be collated across polling units before INEC formally announces a winner. Isolated incidents have been reported, and the police have warned against vote trading, ballot-box snatching and intimidation.
All eyes now turn to the collation process, with both the APC’s grassroots strength and the opposition’s challenge set to be tested at the ballot. Viorah TV will report verified results as they are declared.
