There Are No Polling Units on Social Media,  Oyebanji Mocks Opponents

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Governor Biodun Oyebanji has dismissed critics of his administration following his victory in the June 20 governorship election in Ekiti State, saying social media discussions do not determine election outcomes.

Speaking on Sunday after being declared winner of the election, Oyebanji said electoral success is earned through performance and direct engagement with the people rather than online commentary.

“There are no polling units on social media,” the governor said.

Using a farming analogy, he stated that a farmer who has worked hard on his farm does not become anxious during harvest time, adding that some individuals who have not done meaningful work spend their time criticizing governments on social media.

Oyebanji argued that politicians who fail to connect with voters at the grassroots often resort to media appearances and online campaigns to attack opponents.

“If you have done well, people will vote for you. But if you don’t have anything to say other than going to media houses to grant interviews and telling lies against the government, stay on social media whipping up sentiments. Yesterday was their day of reckoning,” he said.

The governor secured a landslide victory, winning in all 16 local government areas of the state.

According to the Independent National Electoral Commission, Oyebanji polled 319,224 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Wole Oluyede of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who received 40,543 votes.

Dare Bejide of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) came third with 12,872 votes.

The election results were announced by Adenike Oladiji at the collation centre in Ado-Ekiti on Sunday morning.

INEC disclosed that out of 988,251 registered voters, 384,940 were accredited to vote. A total of 375,777 valid votes were recorded, while 6,332 votes were rejected, bringing the total number of votes cast to 382,109.

Although the election was largely peaceful, reports of vote-buying, voter suppression and technical issues involving the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) were recorded in some polling units. Elderly voters were reportedly among those most affected by the glitches.

Oyebanji, 58, first assumed office as governor on June 18, 2022, and was sworn in later that year. His latest victory secures him another four-year term in office.

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