High Expectations as Oyebanji Begins Second Term in Ekiti

Biodun Oyebanji became the first governor in the history of Ekiti State to secure a consecutive second term, and was sworn in Friday before a gathering of political heavyweights from the Fountain of Knowledge, Abuja and across the country. The question begging for answer is: will he be able to meet up with the high expectations of Ekiti people in the next four years? Raheem Akingbolu writes.

Biodun Oyebanji was sworn in on Friday in Ado-Ekiti for a second term as Governor of Ekiti State, becoming the first holder of the office in the state’s history to win a consecutive second term.

The ceremony drew political leaders from Ekiti, Abuja and across the country, underscoring the weight of Oyebanji’s renewed mandate and his growing political profile. Those present included Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented President Bola Tinubu; Senate President, Godswill Akpabio; Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele; Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma; All Progressives Congress National Chairman Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda; Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi; former Ekiti Governor Dr Kayode Fayemi; and other traditional rulers, federal lawmakers and political leaders.

Beyond the colour and political weight of the occasion, the inauguration opens a more demanding phase for the governor. With a fresh four-year mandate, Oyebanji must now turn the confidence placed in him into economic opportunity, better livelihoods and more visible development across the state.

The second term also comes with the benefit of experience. Oyebanji returns with a clearer understanding of Ekiti’s challenges, stronger relationships at the federal level and an agenda built around electricity, agriculture, education, skills development, job creation and infrastructure.

But that agenda must be pursued against real economic hardship, which the governor acknowledged in his inauguration remarks. Rising costs of food, transport, education and other essentials have changed what citizens expect from government. The effect of public spending on household incomes, businesses, farms and public services will therefore be an important measure of his second term.

This explains the emphasis Oyebanji placed on livelihoods. At this stage, the question is no longer simply whether projects are being conceived or executed. It is whether they improve the economic circumstances of the people. A road must help farmers move produce and reach markets. Electricity must help businesses operate. Schools must prepare young people for productive lives.

Electricity deserves particular attention because it affects almost every part of the economic agenda. Reliable power can lower operating costs for small businesses, support artisans and manufacturers, improve agricultural processing and make Ekiti more attractive to investors. For households already under pressure, a more dependable supply can also reduce the cost of relying on alternative sources of power.

Infrastructure must be judged in equally practical terms. Ekiti cannot realise the full value of its agricultural and commercial potential if farmers struggle to move produce, businesses face poor transport links and communities remain disconnected from economic centres. Roads and other infrastructure are important not simply because they are projects, but because they can reduce the cost of doing business and open up markets.

Education carries an even deeper significance in Ekiti because it is part of the state’s identity. Generations of parents have invested heavily in their children’s education, building a culture in which learning is regarded as one of the surest routes to advancement. The challenge now is to ensure that this strength remains relevant to an economy that is changing rapidly.

This is why Oyebanji’s pledge to link education more closely with enterprise and practical skills matters. Educational progress cannot be measured only by enrolment figures or certificates. Young people also need the ability to start businesses, enter the modern workplace, use technology and adapt to changing forms of employment. The link between education and opportunity must become stronger.

Agriculture offers another important opportunity. The task is not simply to increase production, but to ensure that more of the value created remains within Ekiti. Processing, storage, packaging, transportation and marketing are all part of the agricultural economy. Investment in these areas can create jobs and businesses far beyond the farm.

That wider value chain could also change the way younger people see agriculture. With technology, capital, processing facilities, reliable electricity, good transport and access to markets, farming can become a serious business rather than an occupation associated mainly with subsistence. It can attract young people with ideas, skills and entrepreneurial ambition.

The real strength of the second-term agenda will depend on how these priorities work together. Education can produce skilled young people, but those skills need an economy capable of creating opportunities. Farmers can increase production, but they need roads, electricity, storage and markets. Businesses can expand, but they need infrastructure and an environment in which the cost of operation is manageable.

This is where Ekiti’s political advantage at the centre becomes important. Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, who is Senate Leader, occupies one of the most influential positions in the National Assembly. For Oyebanji, that provides an important political link to Abuja at a time when the state will need federal support for projects, partnerships, funding and other interventions.

Bamidele’s role did not begin with this inauguration. He has been part of efforts to advance Ekiti’s interests at the federal level, working within the national political structure and using his influence to strengthen the state’s engagement with the centre. His continued position gives Oyebanji a valuable partner as the governor begins a second term with bigger ambitions and higher expectations.

The combination is significant. Oyebanji has the executive authority to drive Ekiti’s development agenda, while Bamidele has considerable influence within the National Assembly. If properly aligned, that relationship could help the state attract federal projects, strengthen infrastructure, support electricity and industrial development, expand educational and healthcare opportunities and deepen investment in agriculture.

But political access, by itself, is not an achievement. Its value will ultimately depend on what it produces. The people of Ekiti will be more interested in completed roads, functioning infrastructure, stronger businesses, productive farms, better schools and new opportunities for young people than in the political strength of the relationships that made those things possible.

There is also a wider historical dimension to the moment. As Bamidele has noted, Ekiti’s development has been shaped by successive leaders and by a political class that has contributed to the state’s progress since its creation. Oyebanji’s own journey now forms part of that history, from his emergence as governor to his return for a second consecutive term.

His place in that history will be determined by what he does with the mandate he now holds. His first term established his administration and gave him the political capital to win re-election. The second gives him four more years to deepen the work, address weaknesses, pursue bigger opportunities and show how much of the confidence placed in him can become lasting value for the state.

Friday’s ceremony was therefore both an achievement and a beginning. The historic nature of the second term is settled, and the goodwill around the governor is clear. His relationships in Abuja are stronger, his understanding of the state is deeper and his priorities are clearer. What remains is the harder work of turning those advantages into results.

For the people of Ekiti, the final test will be simpler than the political calculations around the inauguration. They will look for businesses that survive and grow, farms that generate better incomes, young people who find meaningful opportunities, schools that prepare students for life beyond the classroom, infrastructure that works and public services that ease the pressures of everyday life.

The crowd in Ado-Ekiti on Friday showed the political importance of Oyebanji’s second term. The next four years will show its practical importance. History may record that he became the first governor of Ekiti to win a consecutive second term.

The more consequential question is whether that mandate becomes a period in which political goodwill, federal influence and public investment produce a better economic and social reality for the people of Ekiti.