Eleven candidates are in the race for the Ekiti State governorship election holding today, with Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) seeking a second term amid opposition from 10 other political parties.

The election is one of Nigeria’s off-cycle governorship polls and will be conducted across the state’s 16 local government areas and 2,445 polling units, with over 1.02 million registered voters expected to participate.

Oyebanji, who won the 2022 governorship election with 187,057 votes, enters the contest as the clear frontrunner, backed by the APC’s dominant political structure in the state.

The APC currently controls all 16 local government councils, 26 seats in the State House of Assembly, and all nine National Assembly seats from Ekiti, giving the governor a strong electoral advantage.

His administration’s six-point Shared Prosperity Agenda, covering education, healthcare, infrastructure, agriculture, economic growth and social welfare, has reportedly earned support from key stakeholder groups, including civil servants, pensioners and traditional political figures.

He has also received endorsements from prominent political leaders, including former governors Adeniyi Adebayo, Ayodele Fayose, Kayode Fayemi and Segun Oni, as well as senior legal practitioners Afe Babalola and Wole Olanipekun.

In the opposition camp, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Ambassador Dare Bejide, a former Secretary to the State Government and ex-Nigerian envoy to Canada, is seen as the most visible challenger.

The PDP candidate, Dr Wole Oluyede, is also contesting, though analysts say internal party divisions and the endorsement of the APC candidate by former Governor Ayodele Fayose have weakened his campaign.

Other candidates on the ballot include representatives of the AAC, Accord, ADP, APP, Labour Party, NNPP, PRP, YPP and ZLP, though they are not widely regarded as major contenders.

With voting underway, attention is focused on whether Governor Oyebanji will consolidate his incumbency advantage or whether the opposition can produce a surprise outcome in one of Nigeria’s key off-cycle elections.