Governor Biodun Oyebanji secured a landslide victory in Saturday’s Ekiti State governorship election, but election observers raised concerns over vote buying, voter accreditation failures, ballot irregularities and logistical shortcomings, warning that persistent flaws continue to threaten confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner after he polled 319,224 votes, defeating the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Dr. Wole Oluyede, who secured 40,543 votes, and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Dare Bejide, who garnered 12,872 votes.
Of the state’s 1,059,360 registered voters, 1,028,929 had collected Permanent Voter Cards ahead of the election. INEC accredited 384,940 voters, while 382,109 ballots were cast. Of those, 375,777 votes were declared valid and 6,332 were rejected, highlighting a turnout of less than 40% despite the high number of registered voters.
In his acceptance speech at the Government House in Ado-Ekiti, Oyebanji described his re-election as an unprecedented mandate and pledged to intensify efforts to improve governance during his second term.
“There is no doubt that this is an unprecedented electoral outcome in the history of our state, and indeed Nigeria,” he said. “You have spoken loudly and unequivocally, and I have heard you clearly.”
The governor also linked his victory to the economic reforms of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, arguing that federal policies had provided state governments with greater resources to implement development programs.
Political analysts said the result further underscored the APC’s dominance in Ekiti State while exposing the weakened position of opposition parties. However, attention quickly shifted from the scale of the victory to concerns raised by election monitoring organizations over the conduct of the poll.
Observers Highlight Electoral Concerns
Election observers generally described the exercise as peaceful and orderly but identified several operational and procedural weaknesses.
Yiaga Africa said the election recorded improvements in election-day administration, including early deployment of officials and materials, timely commencement of accreditation and voting, and a generally peaceful atmosphere.
However, the organization reported widespread allegations of vote buying and voter inducement, which it said undermined the integrity of voter choice.
According to Yiaga Africa, 10% of observed polling units recorded incidents where eligible voters were denied accreditation because the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) failed to authenticate their voter cards, fingerprints or facial biometrics.
The group also reported that in 14% of polling units, some voters were accredited and permitted to vote using printed slips containing their details without presenting physical voter cards.
Yiaga further noted that ballot secrecy was compromised in some locations, with observers able to see how voters marked their ballots in 17% of polling units at various points during the day.
The organization questioned INEC’s voter turnout calculation, estimating turnout at between 34.1% and 38.2%, compared with the commission’s announced turnout of 38.7%. It attributed the discrepancy to the alleged use of outdated voter register figures in the commission’s calculations.
“The election exposed critical gaps in results management, voter turnout computation, the consistency of sensitive materials and public communication,” the group said in its final assessment.
Logistics and BVAS Performance Under Scrutiny
The Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI) also raised concerns about election logistics and technology deployment.
Executive Director Bukola Idowu said verified reports from 384 observation locations showed that only 52.3% of polling units recorded early or on-time arrival of election officials, while 47.7% experienced delays.
The group found that 84% of polling units commenced accreditation and voting on schedule, while 16% began later than the prescribed time.
“The principal challenge facing election administration in Ekiti was not isolated major disruptions but the cumulative impact of multiple smaller operational constraints,” Idowu said.
Despite the concerns, KDI described the overall election environment as peaceful and orderly.
Allegations of Vote Buying and Ballot Manipulation
The Movement for Credible Elections (MCE) called for thorough investigations into allegations of vote buying, voter inducement and ballot manipulation.
The group cited reports and videos circulating on social media, including claims that voters were offered money in exchange for votes.
MCE also expressed concern over reports of an allegedly pre-thumb-printed ballot paper discovered at a polling unit and allegations that uncollected Permanent Voter Cards were distributed to individuals brought into the state to influence the outcome of the election.
Convener Wale Okunniyi said any evidence supporting such allegations would constitute serious violations of electoral laws and threaten the integrity of the democratic process.
“The people of Ekiti deserve an election that reflects their genuine democratic choices and not one tainted by allegations of vote-buying, ballot manipulation, voter impersonation or abuse of electoral materials,” he said.
The organization urged INEC and security agencies to conduct forensic investigations into all reported incidents and strengthen safeguards against unauthorized access to election materials.
CDD, CJID Report Irregularities
The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) and the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) also reported concerns about vote trading and procedural irregularities.
CDD said ballot papers used during the election contained the names of 19 political parties, while result sheets listed 15 parties, despite INEC’s final candidate list containing only 14 candidates.
Observers also documented an incident in Ilawe-Ekiti where unstamped and unsigned ballot papers were initially issued before corrective action was taken by election supervisors.
The organization reported BVAS malfunctions in parts of Ado-Ekiti and Oye local government areas, temporarily disrupting accreditation and voting.
CDD further documented cases of alleged vote buying, including reports that some voters received cash payments after casting ballots and that tally slips were used to facilitate payments.
The group questioned the apparent absence of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission officials at many polling units despite the agency’s role in combating electoral bribery.
In one polling unit in Ado-Ekiti, observers recorded a discrepancy where votes counted exceeded the number of accredited voters. Election officials later reportedly discovered duplicate ballot serial numbers and a ballot paper without a serial number.
CJID similarly reported incidents of vote trading and alleged improper assistance to voters by party agents.
The organization warned that such practices could undermine public trust in elections and called for investigations and prosecution of offenders.
Afenifere Urges Reforms Before Osun Election
The pan-Yoruba socio-political organization Afenifere urged INEC to address complaints arising from the Ekiti election before the governorship poll in neighboring Osun State.
Afenifere Secretary-General Sola Ebiseni acknowledged improvements in election administration, particularly the prompt transmission of results through INEC’s Result Viewing Portal (IReV), but said the election should have served as a near-perfect test of the commission’s preparedness.
He described the Ekiti election as relatively less demanding than national elections and urged electoral authorities to learn from the shortcomings identified by observer groups.
“It is hoped that INEC will take such complaints into consideration ahead of the imminent Osun gubernatorial election, which will pose greater challenges,” Ebiseni said.
While he argued that vote buying reflected broader problems within Nigeria’s political culture rather than solely electoral administration, he stressed the need for stronger efforts to curb the practice.
As attention shifts to Osun State, observer groups say lessons from the Ekiti election must be used to address persistent weaknesses in voter accreditation, election logistics, ballot management and the growing challenge of vote trading.
Although Oyebanji’s overwhelming victory reinforced APC dominance in Ekiti, election monitors warned that strengthening electoral integrity remains essential to sustaining public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process.
