2022 Ekiti State gubernatorial election

2022 Ekiti State gubernatorial election
← 2018 18 June 2022[1] 2026 →
Turnout36.47%
 
Nominee Abiodun Oyebanji Olusegun Oni Bisi Kolawole
Party APC SDP PDP
Running mate Monisade Afuye Ladi Owolabi Kolapo Kolade
Popular vote 187,057 82,211 67,457
Percentage 53.16% 23.37% 19.17%
Result by local government area
Governor before election

Kayode Fayemi
APC

Elected Governor

Abiodun Oyebanji
APC

The 2022 Ekiti State gubernatorial election took place on 18 June 2022,[1] to elect the Governor of Ekiti State. Incumbent APC governor Kayode Fayemi was term-limited and could not seek a third term. Former Secretary to the State Government Abiodun Oyebanji held the office for the APC by a 30% margin over first runner-up and SDP nominee—former Governor Olusegun Oni.[2]

The primaries were scheduled for between 4 and 29 January with the All Progressives Congress nominating Oyebanji in a direct primary on 27 January while the People's Democratic Party nominated former Commissioner for Environment Bisi Kolawole in an indirect primary on 26 January. Both primaries were plagued by accusations of candidate imposition and were criticized by activists but both parties accepted the victors as their legitimate nominees.[3][4][5] However, Oni, who came second in the PDP primary, rejected the primary results before leaving the party and accepting the nomination of the smaller Social Democratic Party.

The general election was noted by its great logistical organisation and peaceful voting, despite a turbulent campaign period marked by several notable interparty clashes. By the early morning of 19 June, collation completed and INEC declared Oyebanji as the victor. In total, Oyebanji obtained about 187,000 votes and 53% of the vote as runner-up Oni received around 82,000 votes and 23% of the vote while Kolawole came third with over 67,000 votes and 19% of the vote.[6] Electoral analysis focused on the impact of the ruinous divides within the state PDP compared to the state APC's post-primary reconciliation along with the draw of Oni's candidacy.[7] Civil society and election observer groups concentrated on instances of vote-buying along the highly successful election administration by INEC which resulted in smooth voting, direct online transmission of results, and one of the earliest winner declarations in recent Nigerian history as the result was announced on the night of the election.[2]

  1. ^ a b Adenekan, Samson (16 June 2021). "INEC fixes dates for Ekiti, Osun polls". Premium Times. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
  2. ^ a b "INEC declares APC's Biodun Oyebanji as winner of Ekiti governorship election". The Guardian. 19 June 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  3. ^ Afolabi, Ayodele (31 January 2022). "How Ekiti APC, PDP primaries were won by 'godfathers'". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  4. ^ "APC, PDP violence in Ekiti threat to democracy: CSO". Peoples Gazette. News Agency of Nigeria. 28 January 2022. Retrieved 28 January 2022.
  5. ^ Ogbonnaiye, Raphael (February 2022). "Godfathers Influenced Ekiti APC, PDP Primaries – Observers". Daily Trust. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  6. ^ "BREAKING: INEC declares Oyebanji winner of Ekiti governorship election". Punch Newspapers. 19 June 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
  7. ^ Oluwole, Josiah (22 June 2022). "ANALYSIS: #EkitiDecides2022: Why PDP, SDP returned empty-handed". Premium Times. Retrieved 22 June 2022.