An election credibility advocacy group, the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), has raised concerns over widespread allegations of vote-buying, inconsistencies in sensitive election materials and malfunctioning voter accreditation devices during Saturday’s Ekiti State governorship election.
In a preliminary assessment released on Saturday, the organisation said the election was conducted in a generally peaceful atmosphere, with early deployment of election officials and voting materials in many polling units, but noted that several operational shortcomings could affect public confidence in the process.
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The findings align with reports by PREMIUM TIMES from across the state, which documented incidents of alleged vote-buying, complaints over electoral procedures and isolated disruptions during the poll.
The election observer group, through its Election Analysis Centre (EAC), deployed accredited observers across Ekiti State to monitor logistics, accreditation, voting, security, compliance with electoral guidelines and the conduct of political actors.
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“While voter enthusiasm was evident in several locations, turnout appeared lower than expected in many polling units relative to the number of registered voters assigned to them,” the group said.
One of the major concerns highlighted by the CDD was what it described as inconsistencies in sensitive election materials.
According to the group, ballot papers used for the election contained the names of 19 political parties, while Form EC8A result sheets listed only 15 parties, despite the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) having published a final list recognising 14 candidates for the election.
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The observers also reported an incident at a polling unit in Ilawe-Ekiti where election officials initially issued ballot papers without stamping and signing them. The problem, the group said, was later corrected after intervention by an INEC supervisor from Abuja.
The report further documented several cases of malfunctioning Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices, which temporarily disrupted accreditation and voting in some locations, including parts of Ado-Ekiti and Oye Local Government Areas.
On security, the observer group said the election remained largely peaceful despite the heavy deployment of security personnel across the state.
“Observers did not report widespread incidents of intimidation, harassment, or violence across polling units,” it said.
However, the group reported several instances of procedural violations involving party agents, including alleged interference in voting, improper assistance to voters and disputes between rival party representatives.
CDD also documented what it described as multiple incidents of vote-buying and voter inducement involving agents of major political parties.
The group said in some locations, voters were allegedly paid N10,000 after casting their ballots, while in others, tally slips were reportedly used to facilitate post-voting payments.
The organisation expressed concern over what it described as the apparent absence of officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission at many polling units despite the agency’s role in tackling electoral bribery.
The observer group additionally raised concerns over misinformation and disinformation surrounding the election.
It said its fact-checking team debunked claims that a fire incident at a police station in Isan-Ekiti was election-related, finding instead that the incident stemmed from a dispute linked to a local football match. PREMIUM TIMES had earlier reported the clarification by election security officials.
CDD also identified an unusual discrepancy during vote counting at a polling unit in Ado-Ekiti where the number of votes counted exceeded the number of voters accredited by the BVAS. According to the group, election officials later discovered duplicate ballot paper serial numbers and a ballot paper without a serial number.
Despite the concerns, the organisation commended voters, election officials and security agencies for maintaining a peaceful environment throughout the exercise.
It urged INEC to explain the discrepancies observed in election materials and called on security agencies and anti-corruption bodies to intensify efforts against vote trading ahead of future elections, including the forthcoming Osun governorship election and the 2027 general election.
READ ALSO: Ekiti Election: Yiaga Africa confirms INEC results, raises concerns over vote buying
The statement was signed by CDD-West Africa Director, Dauda Garuba, and the Chair of the Election Analysis Centre, Victor Adetula.
The election was held on Saturday across the 16 local government areas of Ekiti State, with INEC declaring Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) the winner of the poll.
Mr Oyebanji, after running a successful campaign for second term in office, received a total of 319,224 votes to defeat his closest rival, Wole Oluyede of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 40,543 votes.
Mr Oyebanji was declared winner on Sunday in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, after securing a decisive majority of votes across the 16 local government areas of the state.
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