Nigeria, June 20 -- As Ekiti voters prepare to elect a governor on Saturday, one of the most remarkable features of the campaign season has been the unprecedented alignment of the state's political heavyweights behind incumbent Governor Biodun Oyebanji.

For the first time since the state was created in 1996, all four former elected governors-Niyi Adebayo, Ayodele Fayose, Segun Oni and Kayode Fayemi-have publicly rallied behind the same governorship candidate.

In a state known for intense political rivalry and shifting alliances, the development has been striking. The endorsements have strengthened the narrative that the election is less a conventional political contest and more a referendum on Mr Oyebanji's performance over the past thr...