#EkitiDecides2026: Meet the 14 candidates seeking Ekiti’s governorship seat

Ekiti State voters will go to the polls on Saturday to elect a governor for another four-year term in an off-cycle governorship election.

Residents of the state have enthusiastically collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), the ticket required to cast a ballot during the election. The last count by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) showed that 97.1 per cent of registered voters in the South-west state have collected their PVCs and are eligible to vote on Saturday.

Out of 1,059,360 registered voters, 1,028,929 have collected their PVCs. This leaves 30,431 PVCs uncollected. Whether the enthusiasm with which residents collected their PVCs will translate into the same rate of voter turnout on Saturday is a different question.

But as voters file out on Saturday, they will make their choice of the next governor from 14 candidates, based on the final list of candidates released by INEC.

The candidates include Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who is seeking to retain the governorship seat for another four years.

Mr Oyebanji’s quest for re-election places him at the centre of a historic contest in the state where an incumbent governor has never had two consecutive terms. His predecessors either lost a second term bid, had their first truncated or won a second term in a comeback years after finishing the first term.

Among those seeking to challenge Mr Oyebanji’s re-election bid are former governorship aspirants, medical professionals, lawyers, businessmen, diplomats and younger politicians hoping to break the dominance of the major parties.

Here are the 14 candidates on INEC’s list and what voters should know about them.

Governor Biodun Oyebanji, 59, from Ikogosi-Ekiti, is seeking a second term on the platform of the APC.

A political scientist with a master’s degree from the University of Ibadan, Mr Oyebanji previously served as Chief of Staff and Secretary to the State Government during the administration of former Governor Kayode Fayemi.

He won the 2022 governorship election with 187,057 votes and subsequently assumed office as governor. For the 2026 election, he emerged as the APC candidate through a consensus arrangement after his sole challenger, Atinuke Omolayo, withdrew from the race and endorsed him.

Running alongside Deputy Governor Monisade Afuye, Mr Oyebanji is campaigning on continuity, highlighting his administration’s achievements in infrastructure, healthcare, education, agriculture and investment promotion.

Oluwole Oluyede is a medical practitioner, businessman, and lately politician, is the governorship candidate of the PDP in the upcoming election following his victory in the party’s primary held in November 2025.

The Ikere-Ekiti-born physician established Bethany Clinic at age 27 before expanding his medical practice across the United States, Canada, Australia and parts of the Caribbean.

Mr Oluyede is not new in Ekiti’s governorship race as he previously contested in 2022 under the banner of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) before joining the PDP.

Running along with Ayodeji Ogunsakin, Mr Oluyede campaign has focused on economic development, healthcare and job creation.

Oluwadare Bejide, a 66-year-old lawyer and businessman, is one of the most experienced politicians in the race.

A native of Ilawe-Ekiti, he began his political career before the creation of Ekiti State and served as the state secretary of the National Republican Convention (NRC) in old Ondo State. He is also a former Nigerian Ambassador to Canada.

Mr Bejide secured ADC’s ticket after defeating four other aspirants in the primary election. Running along with Paul Olowoyeye, Mr Bejide campaign focuses on public sector reforms, infrastructure development, agriculture and improved welfare for civil servants.

Opeyemi Falegan, 41, is a businessman and philanthropist flying the flag of the Accord Party to occupy the Ekiti State governor seat after his emergence from the party’s primary election in November.

The Ado-Ekiti-born politician, who is one of the youngest candidates in the race, holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Wales, Cardiff, and is known for his philanthropic activities through the OD Foundation.

Running along with Omoyemi Olaleye, Mr Falegan’s campaign priorities include youth employment, healthcare improvement, economic growth and social welfare programmes.

Oyebanji Olajuyin, a professor, is a 67-year-old medical doctor and former Chief Medical Director of the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital.

The Ikere-Ekiti indigene emerged as Labour Party’s consensus candidate and is campaigning on healthcare reforms, education, transparent governance and human capital development.

A 45-year-old Ayokunle Okumade has been chosen to run with Mr Olajuyin to jostle for the governorship seat in Ekiti.

Blessing Abegunde, 35, is among the youngest candidates in the governorship race. A first-class graduate of electrical and electronics engineering from Bowen University emerged as the NNPP candidate after other aspirants stepped down in his favour.

Running along with Francis Ajayi, his campaign has centered on youth empowerment, entrepreneurship and economic transformation.

Bidemi Awogbemi, 36, is among the young contenders in the governorship race seeking to expand the influence of smaller parties in Ekiti politics.

He holds a Master’s in Electrical Engineering from the University of Bridgeport.

With Akinyemi Adewumi as his running mate, Mr Awogbemi’s campaign has been on expanding small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and solving the state’s infrastructural gaps.

Ayodeji Ojo is a politician from Ikere-Ekiti and has served as the chairman of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) in Ekiti State. The 42-year-old is contesting alongside Itunu Ibitoye, who is 35 years old, as his running mate.

He emerged the party’s candidate at the end of an internal primary process. His campaign has fobcused on governance reforms and grassroots development.

Akande Samuel, 36, is among the youngest candidates in the race seeking to challenge the dominance of the major parties in Ekiti politics. His candidacy reflects the AAC’s emphasis on youth inclusion and alternative governance, embodied by the party’s founder, Omoyele Sowore, an activist, Sahara Reporters publisher and two time-presidential candidate who is contesting again again to challenge President Bola Tinubu in next year’s presidential candidate.

Mr Akande flies the flag of the party along with Oluwasanmi Fajuyigbe as his running mate. His campaign emphasises youth participation and empowerment and political accountability.

Olaniyi Ayodele, is a 49-year old businessman who is from Ikere-Ekiti. He is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of WITPARK Homes Ltd, a real estate development company.