#EkitiDecides2026: Low voter turnout in Ilawe-Ekiti as BVAS challenge hits Ado-Ekiti polling unit

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Ilawe-Ekiti on Saturday experienced low voter turnout in the ongoing governorship election in Ekiti State.

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A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent, who moved round the town, also observed that some residents were busy with their commercial activities, while others were actively engaged in house chores.

NAN also noted that INEC officials were at their duty posts in Polling Unit 3, Ward 2, awaiting the arrival of voters while security agents were also present.

However, in Unit 4, ward I and Unit 11 Ward 1, the polling unit of the Senate’s spokesperson, Yemi Adaramodu, INEC officials were still awaiting the arrival of voters.

Reacting to the low turnout, a community leader, Folorunso Ojo, said the development might have been occasioned by people’s loss of faith in the electoral process.

He appealed to residents of the town who had yet to cast their votes to come out and exercise their civic responsibilities.

Meanwhile, there were noticeable delays in the accreditation process at Ward 6, Unit 005, Oke Iyinmi area of Ado Local Government, as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) experienced difficulties in capturing the fingerprints and facial features of some elderly voters.

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NAN reports that electoral officials were seen battling with the BVAS machine, making repeated attempts before some of the affected voters could be successfully accredited.

An elderly man, Gabriel Ojo, described the incident as unfortunate, urging INEC to improve on the voting process, particularly for the elderly ones.

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“I am here to cast my vote but the INEC officials told us that BVAS is not capturing the aged voters, saying we should wait.

“We are waiting for the BVAS to capture us so as to enable us to cast our votes,” he said.