Ekiti Governorship Election: CDD Raises Concerns Over Vote-Buying and Election Issues

An election watchdog group, the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), has expressed worries about reports of vote-buying, problems with election materials, and faulty voter accreditation devices during Saturday’s Ekiti State governorship election.

In a report released on Saturday, the group said the election took place in a mostly peaceful setting, with election officials and voting materials arriving early at many polling units. But they pointed out several issues that could shake public trust in the process.

These findings match reports from PREMIUM TIMES, which noted cases of alleged vote-buying, complaints about how the elections were run, and some disruptions during the voting.

The election observer group, through its Election Analysis Centre (EAC), sent accredited observers all over Ekiti State to watch logistics, accreditation, voting, security, adherence to electoral rules, and how political actors behaved.

“While voter interest was clear in many areas, turnout seemed lower than expected in several polling units compared to the number of registered voters,” the group stated.

One major concern from the CDD was what they called problems with election materials.

The group said the ballot papers for the election listed 19 political parties, while the Form EC8A result sheets showed only 15 parties. This was despite the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) releasing a final list of 14 candidates for the election.

Observers also noted an issue at a polling unit in Ilawe-Ekiti where officials issued ballot papers without stamps or signatures at first. This mistake was fixed after an INEC supervisor from Abuja stepped in.

The report also highlighted several cases where Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices did not work properly. This caused temporary delays in accreditation and voting in some areas, including parts of Ado-Ekiti and Oye Local Government Areas.

On the security front, the observer group said the election was mostly peaceful, even with many security personnel deployed across the state.

“Observers did not report many cases of intimidation, harassment, or violence across polling units,” the group noted.

Still, there were several reports of party agents breaking rules, including alleged interference in voting, improper help to voters, and arguments between party representatives.

CDD also recorded what they described as many instances of vote-buying and voter inducement involving agents from major parties.

In some places, voters were reportedly paid N10,000 after voting. In other cases, tally slips were said to be used to make payments after voting.

The group was worried about the lack of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission officials at many polling units, despite their role in fighting electoral bribery.

The observer group also raised alarms about false information surrounding the election. They said their fact-checking team disproved claims that a fire at a police station in Isan-Ekiti was linked to the election, finding that it was related to a local football match. PREMIUM TIMES had earlier reported this clarification from election security officials.

CDD also found a strange issue during vote counting at a polling unit in Ado-Ekiti. They noted that the number of votes counted was more than the number of voters accredited by the BVAS. According to the group, election officials found duplicate ballot paper serial numbers and a ballot paper without a serial number.

Despite these concerns, the group praised voters, election officials, and security agencies for keeping a peaceful environment during the election.

They urged INEC to clarify the discrepancies found in election materials and called on security agencies and anti-corruption bodies to step up efforts against vote trading ahead of future elections. This includes the upcoming Osun governorship election and the 2027 general election.

The statement was signed by CDD-West Africa Director, Dauda Garuba, and the Chair of the Election Analysis Centre, Victor Adetula.

The election took place on Saturday across the 16 local government areas of Ekiti State. INEC declared Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) the winner of the election.

Mr Oyebanji, after a successful campaign for a second term, got a total of 319,224 votes. He defeated his closest rival, Wole Oluyede of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who received 40,543 votes.

Mr Oyebanji was announced as the winner on Sunday in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, after winning a majority of votes across all 16 local government areas.