3 Reasons APC Could Win Ekiti Governorship Election 2026, List Emerges
- Ekiti state residents to vote on Saturday, June 20, 2026, for governor with over one million registered voters
- Incumbent Biodun Oyebanji of the APC seeks reelection amid widespread political endorsements and support
- APC's strong grassroots structure is predicted to bolster its chances in the upcoming governorship election
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over nine years of experience covering politics, elections, public affairs, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.
Ado Ekiti, Ekiti state - From 8:30 a.m on Saturday, June 20, Ekiti residents will line up at the 2,445 polling units to elect their governor.
According to the candidate list published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), over one million voters registered for the electoral process, an improvement from the over 900,000 voters in the previous election year.
Source: Twitter
14 contestants are jostling for the seat. The incumbent governor, Biodun Oyebanji, 58, is seeking reelection on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Labour Party (LP) is presenting Olajuyin Oyebanji, 67. Other candidates include David Falegan (Accord), Olu Omotosho (Action Alliance), Patrick Bejide (African Democratic Congress), Ayodeji Ojo (ADP), Olarenwaju Anifowose (APM), Olaiya Awogbemi (Action Peoples Party), Praise Ayodele (Peoples Redemption Party), Ayodele Osinkolu (Young Progressives Party), Wole Oluyede (Peoples Democratic Party) and Damilola Adetunji (Zenith Labour Party).
Among the younger contenders are Abegunde Blessing of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), 35, and the African Action Congress’s (AAC) Akande Samuel, 36.
Unlike the 2022 contest, analysts view the upcoming election as a predictable victory for the incumbent.
In this report, Legit.ng highlights three reasons the ruling APC could win the 2026 Ekiti state governorship election.
Why APC may win Ekiti 2026
1) The power of incumbency
The power of incumbency is in APC’s favour, and the politics of performance also appears to benefit the party.
With its numerical strength and political structure, APC looks well-positioned ahead of the Ekiti governorship election.
2) APC's widespread endorsements
The APC appears buoyed by widespread endorsements. For instance, since 2023, Ayodele Fayose, a former governor of Ekiti state, has endorsed Governor Biodun Oyebanji for a second term, citing his leadership style and development strides.
In July 2025, Fayose, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), publicly declared his support for the continuation of Oyebanji’s administration at an APC rally in Ado-Ekiti, despite being an opposition party member.
Source: Twitter
The Punch quoted Fayose as saying:
“I hereby endorse publicly, without reservation, President Bola Tinubu for a second term. I also endorse our governor, Biodun Oyebanji, and his deputy for a second term."
In the same vein, despite being a critic of the ruling federal government, former Ekiti governor Kayode Fayemi has backed Oyebanji.
He has already declared support for the APC candidate, noting that the governor has performed credibly well and deserves support for continuity.
Fayemi said, according to The Nation:
“What I am saying is that as for me and my entire family, we are for Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji’s second term in office.
“We have all agreed that our governor is an 'Omoluabi' who has performed exceedingly well within the last two years. And we all agreed that if we support him as our candidate, the people of Ekiti will joyfully follow us. So, the best thing to do is to rally support for him so he can continue the good governance till 2030."
Reports from Ekiti suggest that dozens of key political groups in the state have also thrown their weight behind the APC and Governor Oyebanji.
3) APC's strong grassroots structures
Political analysts and polls agree that the APC holds a significant structural advantage in the 2026 Ekiti governorship election.
This is largely due to Governor Oyebanji’s deep grassroots networks across the state’s 16 Local Government Areas (LGAs) and 177 wards.
Read more on Ekiti election 2026:
- Meet the 4 youngest candidates contesting Ekiti governorship election
- Who Is Wole Oluyede? Key facts about PDP candidate in Ekiti governorship election
Analyst predicts winner of 2026 Ekiti election
Legit.ng earlier reported that a public affairs analyst, Donald Okwuosa, said Governor Oyebanji will likely be re-elected to office for a second tenure. Okwuosa said Governor Oyebanji of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) will emerge victorious in the election.
The political analyst listed three reasons why Governor Oyebanji will come out victorious on Saturday, June 20, 2026.
Source: Legit.ng
