Ekiti election results reflect polling units votes — Yiaga Africa
… laments cases of vote-buyingThe official results of the 2026 Ekiti State Governorship Election announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) accurately reflected votes cast at polling. . .
… laments cases of vote-buyingThe official results of the 2026 Ekiti State Governorship Election announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) accurately reflected votes cast at polling units across the state, election observer group Yiaga Africa has said. The INEC Chief Returning Officer and Vice Chancellor of Federal University of Technology, Akure(FUTA) Professor Adenike Oladiji while declaring the results around 3am on Sunday said Oyebanji polled 319,224 votes to defeat the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party(PDP) Dr Wole Oluyede who came a distant second with 40,543 votes. The candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Dare Bejide scored 12,872 votes, to finish third in the election contested by 13 political parties. Presenting the organisation’s final assessment of the poll, Yiaga Africa stated that its Watching The Vote (WTV) Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT) findings showed that the results declared by INEC fell within its estimated range, indicating that the outcome announced by the electoral umpire was consistent with ballots counted at polling units. ALSO READ:Ekiti guber: ADC candidate rejects election resultsSpeaking through the Chair of the 2026 Ekiti Election Observation Mission, Dr. Aisha Abdullahi, and the Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo in Ado-Ekiti on Sunday, the organisation noted that the alignment between INEC’s official figures and its independent verification exercise demonstrated that the election results were not manipulated during collation at the ward, local government or state levels. According to the group, “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. ”Yiaga Africa explained that if the results had been substantially altered during the collation process, the final figures would have fallen outside the statistical ranges generated through its PVT methodology. It stressed that the consistency of the results specifically confirmed the accuracy of polling-unit result tabulation. Despite validating the accuracy of the declared outcome, the organisation raised concerns over widespread reports of vote-buying and voter inducement. The group warned that such practices cast doubt on the extent to which the election reflected the genuine and free choices of voters. The observer group said while the results mirrored ballots counted at polling units, allegations of financial inducement remained a serious threat to electoral integrity. “Widespread reports of vote buying and voter inducement raise serious concerns about the integrity of voter choice and the extent to which the outcome reflected the free will of the electorate,” the report stated. On voter participation, Yiaga Africa disclosed that its PVT estimated voter turnout at between 34. 1 and 38. 2 per cent, while INEC announced an official turnout figure of 38. 7 per cent. The organisation observed that the commission used a registered voter figure of 988,251, drawn from the 2022 voters register, rather than the updated 2026 register containing 1,059,360 registered voters, a discrepancy it said affected turnout computation. Assessing the overall conduct of the election, Yiaga Africa commended the people of Ekiti State for maintaining peace throughout the process and praised security agencies, particularly the Nigeria Police Force, for their professionalism. It noted significant improvements in election-day administration, including the early deployment of election personnel and materials, timely commencement of accreditation and voting, and the generally peaceful atmosphere that characterised the exercise. However, the organisation identified several shortcomings, including gaps in results management, voter turnout computation, inconsistencies relating to sensitive election materials, and inadequate public communication regarding late administrative and judicial developments that affected the poll. It warned that these issues, coupled with the prevalence of vote-buying, could undermine public confidence in future elections if left unaddressed. It also urged security agencies to intensify efforts against electoral malpractice through intelligence gathering, enforcement, arrest and prosecution of offenders involved in vote-buying and voter intimidation. The organisation further encouraged Ekiti residents to remain actively engaged in the democratic process beyond elections by holding elected officials and political parties accountable for their campaign promises, describing sustained civic participation as critical to deepening democracy in the state and the country at large. WATCH TOP VIDEOS FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE TVBack to School, Back to Business A Fresh StartRelationship Hangout: Public vs Private Proposals – Which Truly Wins in Love?“No” Is a Complete Sentence: Why You Should Stop Feeling GuiltyRelationship Hangout: Friendship Talk 2025 – How to Be a Good Friend & Big Questions on FriendshipPolice Overpower Armed Robbers in Ibadan After Fierce StruggleGet real-time news updates from Tribune Online! 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