The 2022 Ekiti State gubernatorial election took place on 18 June 2022, 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.
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. 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. 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. 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.
Electoral system The Governor of Ekiti State is elected using a modified two-round system. To be elected in the first round, a candidate must receive the plurality of the vote and over 25% of the vote in at least two-thirds of state local government areas. If no candidate passes this threshold, a second round will be held between the top candidate and the next candidate to have received a plurality of votes in the highest number of local government areas.
Background Ekiti State is a small, Yoruba-majority southwestern state with vast natural areas but facing an underdeveloped yet vital agricultural sector, high unemployment, and rising debt. The state also has to contend with insecurity with abated, but still present, conflict between herders and farmers in the state's rural areas.
Politically, Fayemi's 2018 victory was a forerunner of the state's movement in the 2019 elections with the federal elections being categorized by a massive swing to the APC as its presidential nominee Muhammadu Buhari won the state back after the PDP had won it in 2015. Legislatively the APC also gained ground, winning all two Senate seats, all six House of Representatives seats, and control of the House of Assembly.
Ahead of Fayemi's term, his policy focuses included education, healthcare, infrastructure, mineral resources, and agriculture development. In terms of his performance, Fayemi was commended for taking steps towards fighting climate change and preserving the environment but was criticized for a poor response to the killing of protesting students by his wife's security detail, denying constitutionally-guaranteed local government autonomy, and threatening to illegally dismiss striking health workers.
Primary elections The primaries, along with any potential challenges to primary results, are scheduled for between 4 and 29 January. According to some candidates and community leaders under the group Ekiti South Agenda Forum, an informal zoning gentlemen's agreement sets the Ekiti South Senatorial District to have the next governor as since the 1999 return of democracy, all Ekiti governors have come from either the Ekiti Central or Ekiti North Senatorial Districts. However, neither major party closed their primaries to non-Southerners or ended up nominating a Southerner.
All Progressives Congress Reports from early 2021 indicated that Governor Kayode Fayemi had told members of his Executive Council with plans to run for governor in 2022 to resign, as he wanted his administration to stay on task. These reports were confirmed in early December with Fayemi officially issuing a directive for any appointee planning to run for governor to resign by 18 December. Rivalries within the APC, partially stemming from divisions during the 2018 gubernatorial primary, caused many internal crises between 2018 and 2021 culminating in South West Agenda for Asiwaju (SAWGA), a pro-Tinubu APC faction, suing to stop the 2021 APC ward and local government congresses which were held anyway. Analysts viewed the Ekiti APC as volatile and in need of consensus agreements to bridge internal divides. One of the most major causes for internal strife was the alleged support Fayemi gave to former Secretary to the State Government Abiodun Oyebanji's gubernatorial candidacy.
In November 2021, the APC announced that its expression of interest form would cost ₦2.5 million and the nomination form would cost ₦20 million with a 50% discount for women candidates and candidates with disabilities. Initially, the party set its direct primary date for 22 January 2022 but the timetable was shifted in early January 2022 as the sale of forms was now to end on 15 January while the primary date became 27 January.
Allegations of candidate imposition by Fayemi sowed doubt in the primary's fairness in the days before the election, with reports that Fayemi successfully lobbied for Jigawa State Governor, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, to be appointed chair of the primary committee and allegedly bribed primary committee members with ₦1.2 billion to guarantee Oyebanji's victory. Such extreme efforts were speculated to be connected to Fayemi's desire to have an ally as his successor to give a boost to his likely presidential candidacy. Further reports with photos of INEC officials dining with Fayemi at the Government House on the night before the primary led a Sahara Reporters APC source to contend that the "primary seems compromised already." The allegations were the catalyst for the withdrawal of all other APC candidates on the primary day as the seven aspirants called for the primary to be postponed due to its 'hijacking in favor of Oyebanji.' However, the primary committee secretary, Victor Olabimtan, said in a statement later on 27 January that the primary would continue as scheduled. When collation completed, Abubakar declared Oyebanji as the APC nominee after announced results showed Oyebanji winning nearly 97% of the votes cast with 59% turnout. In the days after the primary, both Ojo and Adeyeye declared their intention to challenge the results while Abubakar defended the primary's fairness and Oyebanji said his opponents should appeal to the primary appeal panel. Bamidele also said he would challenge the results before backtracking a few weeks later while maintaining the belief that the primary was a sham.
Nominated Abiodun Oyebanji: former Secretary to the State Government, former Commissioner of Budget, Economic Planning and Service Delivery, former Commissioner of Integration and Inter-Governmental Affairs Running mate: Monisade Afuye
Withdrew Adebayo Clement Adeyeye: former Senator for Ekiti South, 2018 PDP gubernatorial candidate, and former Minister of State for Works Oluwatoyin Oluwasola Afolabi Abiodun Aluko: former Deputy Governor, Mega Party gubernatorial candidate, and 2018 Accord gubernatorial nominee Makinde Araoye: Special Adviser on Federal and Intergovernmental Matters to Governor Fayemi Michael Opeyemi Bamidele: Senator for Ekiti Central, former House of Representatives member, and former Lagos State cabinet official Richard Bamisile: House of Representatives member for Emure/Gbonyin/Ekiti East and 2018 APC gubernatorial candidate Reuben Famuyibo: businessman, 2003 Ekiti State gubernatorial candidate, and 1993 SDP presidential candidate (defected prior to the primary to successfully run in the Accord gubernatorial primary) Bamidele Faparusi: former Commissioner for Infrastructure and Public Utilities and 2018 APC gubernatorial candidate Kayode Ojo: businessman, engineer, and 2018 APC gubernatorial candidate Ademola Popoola: aviation consultant
Declined Adeyemi Adaramodu: House of Representatives member for Ekiti South West/Ikere/Ise/Orun Diran Adesua: Commissioner for Housing and Urban Development Funminiyi Afuye: Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly Bolaji Aluko: former Federal University, Otuoke Vice-Chancellor, Coordinator of the Ekiti State COVID-19 Task Force, and Director-General of the Office of Transformation and Service Delivery Olawale Fapohunda, state Attorney-General and Commissioner of Justice Babafemi Ojudu: former Senator for Ekiti Central and Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Political Matters Muyiwa Olumilua: Commissioner for Investments, Trade and Industries Biodun Omoleye: Chief of Staff to Governor Fayemi Paul Omotoso: former Ekiti State APC Chairman Mojisola Yaya-Kolade: former Commissioner for Health and Human Services, 2018 APC gubernatorial candidate, and ICPC Commissioner nominee
Results
By local government area LGAOyebanjiOjoBamideleOthersTotal votes#%#%#%#%# Ado Ekiti 49,380 98.90% 129 0.26% 150 0.30% 271 0.54% 49,930 Efon 3,047 100.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 3,047 Ekiti East 5,574 98.25% 1 0.02% 62 1.11% 35 0.62% 5,673 Ekiti South-West 5,880 93.14% 149 2.36% 83 1.31% 201 3.18% 6,313 Ekiti West 11,319 97.55% 118 1.02% 120 1.03% 46 0.40% 11,603 Emure 4,018 94.08% 47 1.10% 57 1.33% 149 3.49% 4,271 Gbonyin 5,690 96.21% 50 0.85% 57 0.96% 117 1.98% 5,914 Ido-Osi 5368 97.44% 27 0.49% 46 0.83% 68 1.23% 5509 Ijero Ekiti 6,714 97.23% 35 0.51% 48 0.70% 108 1.56% 6,905 Ikere-Ekiti 5,546 99.48% 17 0.30% 12 0.22% 0 0.00% 5,575 Ikole 9,619 97.77% 55 0.56% 63 0.64% 101 1.03% 9,838 Ilejemeje 3,011 97.47% 20 0.65% 19 0.62% 39 1.26% 3,089 Irepodun/Ifelodun 4,297 98.08% 2 0.05% 66 1.51% 16 0.37% 4381 Ise/Orun 4,048 96.47% 0 0.00% 9 0.21% 139 3.31% 4,196 Moba 8,193 97.92% 38 0.45% 18 0.22% 118 1.41% 8,367 Oye 9,359 95.80% 84 0.86% 39 0.40% 287 2.94% 9,769Totals101,70396.88%7670.73%7600.72%17531.67%104,983
People's Democratic Party In 2021, the primary race was seen as a proxy battle between former Governor Ayo Fayose (backer of Bisi Kolawole) and Ekiti South Senator Abiodun Olujimi (major candidate), who served as Fayose's Deputy Governor in 2005 and 2006. The primary was tracking be the culmination of a lengthy battle between the two over control of the Ekiti PDP along with being an offshoot of the wider battle between Fayose and incumbent Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde over control of the southwestern PDP. While the division between Fayose and Olujimi was the main break in the Ekiti PDP, those two groups along with the Oni group (supporting and led by former Governor Olusegun Oni), the Eleka group (supporting and led by Kolapo Olushola), the Aribisala group (supporting and led by Adewale Aribisala), and the Adaramodu group (supporting and led by Kayode Adaramodu) all held significant sway in the state PDP. Prior to the primary in January 2021, Fayose and Olujimi held a series of meetings, reportedly at the behest of newly elected national PDP Chair Iyorchia Ayu, to resolve their dispute. The reconciliation meetings led to speculation that other candidates would be sidelined in favor of an agreement between Fayose and Olujimi.