0
A non-profit civic hub, Yiaga Africa, has raised concerns that voters were denied in 10 per cent of polling units, accreditation because the BVAS failed to verify their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) or authenticate their fingerprints and facial biometrics.
The Chairman of the 2026 Ekiti Election Observation Mission, Dr. Aisha Abdullahi, disclosed this in Ado-Ekiti while presenting the organisation’s final Process and Results Verification for Transparency (PRVT) statement on the election.
The hub also identified critical shortcomings in results management, voter turnout computation, consistency of sensitive election materials and public communication during the 2026 Ekiti State governorship election.
According to her, the election recorded notable improvements in election day administration, particularly in the early deployment of officials and materials, prompt commencement of accreditation and voting, as well as the generally peaceful atmosphere that characterised the exercise.
She added that widespread reports of vote buying and voter inducement also undermined the integrity of voter choice and remained a serious threat to credible elections.
The organisation said its observation covered 249 to 250 sampled polling units, representing 99 per cent of the selected polling units, enabling it to independently verify the official results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The report further revealed that in 14 per cent of polling units, individuals presenting printed slips containing their details were accredited and allowed to vote without presenting physical PVCs.
It also found that ballot secrecy was compromised in some locations, with observers reporting that in 17 per cent of polling units, it was possible at some point during the day to see how voters marked their ballots.
The organisation estimated turnout to be between 34.1 per cent and 38.2 per cent, while INEC announced a turnout of 38.7 per cent.
According to the observers, the discrepancy arose because INEC reportedly used 988,251 registered voters, the figure from the 2022 voter register instead of the updated 2026 register containing 1,059,360 registered voters.
It therefore urged the electoral commission to clarify the inconsistency and take steps to correct it to avoid future controversies that could affect the conclusiveness of elections.
The report read in part, “The election exposed critical gaps in results management, voter turnout computation, the consistency of sensitive materials, and public communication of late administrative and judicial changes affecting the election.
“INEC’s official results for the 2026 Ekiti State Governorship Election are consistent with Yiaga Africa’s WTV estimate, as they fall within Yiaga Africa’s estimated range.
“This indicates that the official results, as announced, reflect the ballots counted at polling units.
“INEC’s turnout figure falls slightly outside Yiaga Africa’s confidence interval”.
