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 general election was noted by its great logistical organisation and peaceful voting, despite a turbulent campaign period marked by several notable interparty clashes.
Ahead of Fayemi's term, his policy focuses included education, healthcare, infrastructure, mineral resources, and agriculture development.
[9] 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.
[20] 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.
[20][19] 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.
[46] Upon the 15 January ward congresses to elect delegates for the primary, Olujimi (along with fellow candidates Lateef Ajijola, Adewale Aribisala, Kolapo Olusola, and Olusegun Oni) rejected the results and accused Fayose of hijacking the exercise.
[47] To avoid complete crisis, the national PDP annulled the ward congresses two days before the election and stated that the primary will use statutory/automatic delegates lists instead.
[48] Despite the nullification of the ward congresses, on primary day, disputes between different camps led to violence breaking out at the election venue.
[49] Later on 26 January, Olujimi withdrew from the primary, decrying the process' unlevel playing field and claiming that the delegate lists had been doctored.
Kolawole and Oyebanji are both extensively connected to Fayemi and Fayose, respectively, leading to the labeling of the general election as a continuation of the power struggle between the two.
[73][74] For both major candidates, the early parts of the general election campaign were dominated by attempts to address controversies around their respective primaries and unify their parties.
[75] For the PDP's Kolawole, he claimed that his main primary opponent Olujimi had not dropped out due to irregularities, instead that she wanted to "avoid being embarrassed [by losing].
"[81][82] Oyebanji and Kolawole followed this expectation in choosing southerners (Monisade Afuye from Ikere-Ekiti and Kolapo Kolade from Emure, respectively) while Oni bucked the trend, picking Ladi Owolabi from the central Ado Ekiti.
In April 2022, as the election neared, campaigning ramped up with Oyebanji announcing a six-point development agenda and Kolawole declaring his plans for a return to Fayose's stomach infrastructure policy along with vowing to combat insecurity.
[90][91][92] However, the fears of electoral violence rang true as at least one person was killed in a APC-SDP clash and the parties in opposition alleged that the APC plotted to harass their voters on election day.
[113] On the other hand, INEC was commended for successful election administration as the vast majority of polling units had early-arriving officials, security operatives, and well-functioning equipment according to preliminary reports from election observers CDD West Africa, Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, and YIAGA Africa.
After the full results were released in the early morning of 19 June, Oyebanji declared victory amid the celebrations of his supporters before thanking his former opponents and the people of Ekiti State.
[137][138] Similarly, Kemi Josephine Elebute-Halle–the ADP nominee who was one of the more prominent minor party nominees–rejected the results on grounds of "vote buying and corruption.
[144][145][146] Political takeaways included the waning electoral influence of former Governor Ayo Fayose (PDP), the Bisi Adeleye-Fayemi and Kayode Fayemi-led APC turnout effort, the divides within the state PDP, and the staying power of Oni along with pointing out that the APC has become the first party ever to win consecutive Ekiti gubernatorial elections.
On the first day of proceedings, Kpochi called on parties to cooperate with the tribunal before the panel granted Oni's request for access to the election materials for inspection.