Voters in Ekiti State will head to the polls today, Saturday, June 20, 2026, to select a governor for another four-year term in an off-cycle governorship election.

As announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, residents of the state have collected their Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, essential for casting a ballot in the election.

The latest figures from INEC indicate that 97.1 percent of registered voters in the state have obtained their PVCs and are eligible to participate in the voting process today, Saturday.

Out of a total of 1,059,360 registered voters, 1,028,929 have collected their PVCs, leaving 30,431 PVCs unclaimed.

The frontline candidates seeking for the 1,028,929 votes include the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, flag-bearer, Governor Biodun Oyebanji, who aims to secure another four-year term, Oluwole Oluyede of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and Oluwadare Bejide from the African Democratic Congress, ADC.

Other candidates in the race are Opeyemi Falegan from Accord, Oyebanji Olajuyin from the Labour Party, Blessing Abegunde from the New Nigerian Peoples Party, NNPP, Bidemi Awogbemi from the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Ayodeji Ojo from the Action Democratic Party, ADP, Samuel Akande from the African Action Congress, AAC, Olaniyi Ayodele from the People’s Redemption Party, PRP, Victor Adetunji from the Zenith Labour Party, ZLP, and Olu Omotoso from the Action Alliance.

Also contesting are Joseph Anifowose from the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, and Ayodele Osinkolu from the Young Progressive Party.

However, the contest is anticipated to be between the incumbent governor, Biodun Oyebanji, and the ADC candidate, Oluwadare Bejide.

Stay tuned on this thread for updates and live results from the governorship election.

The gubernatorial ambition of the Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Engr. Yakubu Danladi Salihu, for the 2027 general elections, has taken a new twist with a civil society group accusing him of double participation in the gubernatorial and House of Assembly primary elections in the state.

The Citizens Awareness Against Corruption and Social Vices Initiative, has dragged the lawmaker to court over alleged participation in the state gubernatorial and House of Assembly primary elections.

Joined in the suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1112/2026, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja, are the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

The group is questioning Danladi’s alleged participation in both the APC governorship primary and the House of Assembly primary for Ilesha/Gwanara Constituency during the same election cycle.

The plaintiff alleged that Danladi was screened, cleared and participated as an aspirant in the APC primary election for the Kwara State House of Assembly seat for Ilesha/Gwanara Constituency held on May 20, 2026.

He is also alleged to have taken part in the party’s governorship primary conducted on May 21 and another exercise allegedly held on May 22, 2026, which declared him the winner of the party’s primary election.

The originating summons filed before the court by the plaintiff is asking the court to determine whether the sponsorship and continued recognition of Danladi by the APC for two separate elective offices in the same election season is constitutional and lawful under the Electoral Act, 2026.

The plaintiff further wants the court to determine whether a candidate who participated in two different primary elections for separate offices in the same electoral cycle can validly emerge as the winner of one of the contests while the outcome of the other primary election remains unresolved or unpublished.

Reliefs sought by the plaintiff include asking the court to declare that Danladi’s nomination, screening, clearance and participation in both the House of Assembly and governorship primaries amount to a violation of the Electoral Act and provisions regulating party primaries and nominations.

The body also urged the court to declare his governorship aspiration and emergence as the APC candidate unlawful, unconstitutional, illegal, null and void.

The suit further seeks an order restraining INEC from accepting, publishing, recognising or retaining Danladi’s name as the APC governorship candidate if the court finds that he participated in the two primary elections simultaneously.

The plaintiff is relying on provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act, 2026, and the Federal High Court (Pre-Election) Practice Directions in urging the court to grant the reliefs sought.

The legal action is the latest development in the growing controversies surrounding the APC’s governorship primary process in Kwara state ahead of the 2027 general elections.

DAILY POST recalls that only recently, the elders caucus of the party in the state, declared Yakubu Danladi Salihu as unfit after his emergence in the controversial primary election as the gubernatorial candidate of the party, accusing Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of imposing him on the party.

However, another group in the state chapter of the party, dismissed the claim of the elders caucus and assured that he is eminently qualified to be the flag bearer of the party for the governorship election in 2027.

Political analysts and observers described the recent developments in the state chapter of the party as a major sign of implosion which could be detrimental to its performance in the general elections in the state.

The governorship candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, in the August 15, 2026 Osun State governorship election, Dr Oyelami Saliu, has cautioned against wishing Governor Ademola Adeleke dead, insisting that the governor would live to hand over power after the election.

Saliu, a medical practitioner, made the remark on Friday during the 10th edition of the Media Parley organised by the Osun Online Publishers Association, OOPA, while reacting to the recent stage collapse involving Governor Adeleke.

He said he wished the governor a long life beyond the end of his tenure, declaring that Adeleke would remain alive to hand over power to him should he win the election.

“Adeleke will not die; he will be alive to hand over to me. Political contests should not be accompanied by ill wishes or hostility towards opponents,” he said.

Speaking on the performance of the current administration, the PRP candidate acknowledged that Governor Adeleke had made efforts in office but argued that the achievements recorded so far were insufficient to meet the aspirations of the people of Osun State.

“The incumbent governor of Osun State has done his best. Clearly, it is time to change the current leadership. It is time for the PRP to take over the reins of governance in Osun State,” he said.

Saliu further stated that his decision to contest the governorship election was informed by his belief that Osun required a different approach to governance and development.

“If Governor Adeleke was doing well enough, I would not be contesting against him,” he added.

The PRP flagbearer assured residents that his administration would perform better across various sectors if elected and pledged to sustain ongoing projects initiated by the present government that were beneficial to the people.

On the issue of airport development in the state, Saliu said he would conduct a detailed assessment of the two airport projects currently under construction before deciding which one would be most viable for completion.

He explained that his administration would prioritise projects based on feasibility, economic benefits and their capacity to drive development across the state.

The governorship candidate while expressing confidence said his party could provide the leadership required to move the state forward.