Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has taken a swipe at his critics following his landslide victory in the state’s governorship election, insisting that social media popularity does not translate into electoral success.
Speaking after being declared winner of the June 20 governorship poll, the governor said elections are won through performance and grassroots support, not online commentary.
“There are no polling units on social media,” Oyebanji declared.
The governor argued that politicians who fail to connect with the people often resort to social media campaigns and media appearances rather than engaging directly with voters.
According to him, the outcome of the election showed that Ekiti residents based their decisions on governance and results rather than online narratives.
Oyebanji emphasized that leaders who perform well and remain connected to the people are more likely to earn the trust and support of voters at the ballot box.
The governor’s remarks came after he secured a sweeping victory across all 16 local government areas of the state.
INEC announced that Oyebanji polled 319,224 votes, defeating PDP candidate Wole Oluyede, who garnered 40,543 votes, while ADC candidate Dare Bejide secured 12,872 votes.
The victory earned Oyebanji a second term in office, extending his tenure for another four years.
Despite reports of isolated cases of vote-buying, voter suppression allegations and BVAS-related challenges in some polling units, the election was generally peaceful across the state.
Source: INEC / Biodun Oyebanji
