Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji has expressed confidence that President Bola Tinubu will secure between 600,000 and 700,000 votes in the state during the 2027 general election, citing the steady growth in electoral support for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking to journalists after a meeting with President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday, Oyebanji said the party’s improving electoral performance in Ekiti over the last four years demonstrated that the president’s re-election prospects in the state were “very bright”.
The governor, who met the president alongside the Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele, said the APC had consistently increased its vote tally in successive elections, giving the party confidence ahead of the next presidential poll.
According to him, the party secured about 187,000 votes during the 2022 governorship election before raising the figure to roughly 210,000 in the 2023 presidential election.
He added that the APC further increased its support base by polling about 318,000 votes in the recently concluded governorship election.
“The President’s chances are very bright. In 2022 when we first contested, we won with about 187,000 votes. Six months later, when the President contested and I had only been in office for a few months, we increased it to about 210,000 votes.
“This 2026 governorship election has produced about 318,000 votes. So you can extrapolate from that and see that our target in 2027 is between 600,000 and 700,000 votes, and it is doable,” he said.
Reflecting on his historic re-election victory, Oyebanji attributed the outcome to divine favour and the support he received from President Tinubu, saying both factors enabled his administration to fulfil its campaign promises to the people of Ekiti.
He described the victory as unprecedented, noting that no governor in the state’s history had previously secured a second term in the same manner.
“It is not about what I have done differently. It is about two factors: the grace of God, and the support of the President that enabled us to deliver on our promises to our people. These are the two factors that led to the result we saw two weeks ago,” the governor stated.
Oyebanji also promised to pursue a more inclusive style of governance during his second term, stressing that political competition had ended and that attention should now shift fully to governance and development.
He disclosed that he had already initiated reconciliation efforts by reaching out to his major opponents in the governorship election.
According to him, he personally telephoned both candidates after the election and had visited one of them alongside the chairman of his campaign council, while plans were underway to visit the other.
The governor said both opposition candidates had assured him of their support in advancing the development of the state.
“The election ended when the winner was declared. I phoned the two other candidates and, together with the chairman of the campaign council, we visited one of them. Once I get back to Ekiti, I will visit the other one.
“They have assured me of their cooperation because election has ended, politics has ended, and we have to move back to governance. I told them I would need their wisdom, suggestions and advice in ensuring that we continue to deliver for our people,” he said.
On his administration’s priorities, Oyebanji said his government would remain committed to implementing Ekiti State’s 30-year development plan, describing the long-term blueprint as the foundation for government policies, annual budgets and developmental programmes.
He said the administration had no intention of deviating from the plan, insisting it would continue to guide governance throughout his second term.
The governor also backed the proposed establishment of state police, saying governors across the country were prepared to expedite the process once the constitutional amendments were transmitted to state Houses of Assembly.
According to him, the National Economic Council had already considered the proposal, and most states had indicated support for the initiative.
“We are ready for state police. We are thankful to the National Assembly for the constitutional amendments, and we are waiting for them to be transmitted to the state Houses of Assembly.
“The governors have made up their minds that they are going to give it speedy approval so that we can start implementation,” Oyebanji said.
