Ekiti Election: Aisha Yesufu Blasts EFCC, Calls for Decriminalisation of Vote Buying

Rights activist and chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Aisha Yesufu, has sparked a heated debate after she blasted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged vote-buying during Saturday’s Ekiti State governorship election, arguing that the practice should be decriminalised in Nigeria. Reacting to widespread reports of voter inducement in the election, Yesufu took to X (formerly Twitter) to express her frustration with the inability of authorities to curb the menace. She argued that law-abiding citizens are the ones who end up being punished while perpetrators buy votes and “waltz their way into office”. “At this rate, vote buying should be decriminalized in Nigeria. It does not make sense since it is those who are law abiding that gets punished for it!” she wrote. “They do not do the vote buying and they are schemed out while others buy votes and waltz their way into office. @officialEFCC ‘s eagle is blindfolded during election”. The activist also made a sarcastic suggestion, proposing that politicians abandon expensive campaigns and simply wait for Election Day to bargain with voters. “Instead of candidates wasting money on campaigns, let everyone wait for Election Day and bargain. The highest bidder wins and you save your money. This nonsense needs to stop,” she added.

Yesufu’s comments came amid a wave of allegations of electoral malpractice in the Ekiti governorship election, which featured 1,059,360 registered voters across 2,445 polling units. Reports from Aramoko Ekiti, the hometown of the mother of incumbent governor and APC candidate Biodun Oyebanji, suggested that multiple voters openly admitted to receiving cash to influence their choices. According to reports, some voters claimed they received ₦10,000 from agents of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and ₦2,000 from the African Democratic Congress (ADC). At Polling Unit 004, Chief Ologbodo’s House in Aramoko, party agents were allegedly seen approaching voters with cash offers openly. The ADC governorship candidate, Dare Bejide, also alleged vote-buying and cash distribution at his polling unit, while police and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) reportedly declined immediate response. Bejide claimed that some APC chieftains and supporters stormed the area with cash and political thugs, creating tension at the polling centre, and that his driver was assaulted and sustained injuries during the commotion.

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In a dramatic turn of events, operatives of the EFCC were reportedly chased away by angry voters at Polling Unit 10, Ward B, in Iyin-Ekiti. The anti-graft team arrived to crack down on suspected vote-buying but met stiff resistance from the crowd, with voters confronting the officials and demanding their immediate departure. Insisting there was no evidence of financial malpractice at their station, the confrontational voters successfully forced the operatives to leave the scene. Earlier in the day, a separate team of about ten anti-graft officials had also stormed Governor Oyebanji’s personal polling unit, Polling Unit 003 in Ikogosi, Ekiti West Local Government Area, to monitor the environment just after voting commenced, though no arrests were made.

Despite the allegations, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the 2026 Ekiti State governorship election. The Returning Officer announced that Oyebanji secured a total of 319,224 votes to defeat his closest rivals: Oluwole Oluyede of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with 40,543 votes, and Dare Bejide of the ADC with 12,872 votes. A total of 384,940 voters were accredited for the election, while 375,777 valid votes were recorded, with 6,332 votes rejected. The Movement for Credible Elections (MCE) has called on INEC and security agencies to immediately investigate allegations of vote-buying, pre-thumbprinted ballot papers, and the suspected distribution of uncollected Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) during the election. The group expressed particular concern over reports and videos circulating on social media suggesting attempts to compromise the integrity of the election. “Silence or inaction by relevant authorities, especially INEC, could further erode public trust in Nigeria’s democracy,” the group said.

Ekiti Election: Aisha Yesufu Blasts EFCC, Calls for Decriminalisation of Vote Buying

INEC Declares Oyebanji Winner of Ekiti Governorship Election, Sweeps All 16 LGAs (Full Results)

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially declared Biodun Oyebanji, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the winner of the 2026 Ekiti State governorship election, securing a second term in office after a landslide victory across the state.

The declaration was made in the early hours of Sunday by the Returning Officer for the election and Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Prof. Adenike Oladiji, at the State Collation Centre in Ado-Ekiti.

Announcing the final results, Oladiji stated that Oyebanji had fulfilled all constitutional requirements and scored the highest number of valid votes cast.

“Therefore, I, Adenike Oladiji, the Returning Officer for the 2026 Ekiti Governorship Election, hereby declare that Oyebanji Abiodun Abayomi, having satisfied the requirements of the law and scored the highest number of valid votes, is hereby declared the winner and stands re-elected.”

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Biodun Oyebanji Wins by Wide Margin

According to the final results announced by INEC, Biodun Oyebanji polled 319,224 votes, defeating his closest challenger, Olumayokun Oluyede of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who secured 40,533 votes.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Dare Bejide, came third with 12,872 votes, giving the APC candidate a winning margin of 278,691 votes.

Election Statistics

INEC disclosed that:

• Registered voters: 988,251
• Accredited voters: 384,940
• Total votes cast: 382,109
• Valid votes: 375,777
• Rejected votes: 6,332

The figures represent a voter turnout of approximately 39 per cent.

APC Dominates All 16 Local Government Areas

A major highlight of the election was the APC’s clean sweep of all 16 local government areas, including Efon Local Government Area, the hometown of PDP candidate Olumayokun Oluyede.

Ekiti Governorship Election Results by Local Government

Final Votes

Second Term Secured

With the declaration, Governor Biodun Oyebanji has secured another four-year mandate and will continue leading Ekiti State until 2030.

The election was largely peaceful, with security agencies, observers and party agents monitoring voting and collation across the state.

The overwhelming victory further strengthens the APC’s dominance in Ekiti State and provides Oyebanji with a renewed mandate to pursue his administration’s programmes in infrastructure, education, healthcare, agriculture and economic development.

INEC Declares Oyebanji Winner of Ekiti Governorship Election, Sweeps All 16 LGAs (Full Results)

Ekiti 2026: EU Observers Hail Peaceful Poll, 96% BVAS Performance

The European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) Election Observation Hub has described the governorship election in Ekiti State as largely peaceful, orderly, and inclusive, with early deployment of electoral officials and impressive functionality of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) . The EU-backed observers, who monitored the election through 598 personnel deployed across the state’s 16 local government areas, noted that while the poll was generally peaceful, incidents of voter inducement, intimidation, and isolated violence remained major concerns capable of eroding public confidence in the electoral process. The observation hub, which comprises organisations including Yiaga Africa, the International Press Centre, the Centre for Media and Society, TAF Africa, The Kukah Centre, and the Nigerian Women Trust Fund, was established to provide real-time monitoring and strengthen electoral transparency.

Presenting a joint situational statement in Ado-Ekiti on Saturday, the observation hub said reports from its observers indicated that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) achieved significant success in the early deployment of personnel and election materials. According to the group, officials were present in about 75 per cent of sampled polling units by 7:30 a.m. , while accreditation and voting commenced by 8:30 a.m. in 69 per cent of polling units observed. The observers also reported that the BVAS performed optimally across the state, recording a functionality rate of 96 per cent in the polling units monitored. The statement stated that election materials, both sensitive and non-sensitive, were generally complete and adequate in the polling units observed, while voting processes commenced on schedule in most locations. The high performance of the BVAS was particularly significant given that the election marked one of the first major tests of Nigeria’s new electoral framework under the Electoral Act 2026. Despite the positive assessment, the mission identified discrepancies in election materials, noting inconsistencies between the number of political parties listed on ballot papers, result sheets, and INEC’s final list of candidates. The group observed that while INEC’s final list contained 14 candidates, ballot papers featured 19 political parties, while result sheets provided spaces for 15 parties, warning that such mismatches could create confusion during voting and collation.

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Despite the high functionality rate reported by observers, reports from the field indicated that some polling units experienced significant technical difficulties with the BVAS, causing delays in voter accreditation and sparking frustration among voters and candidates. Senator Babafemi Ojudu, a former presidential aide, lamented that it took nearly 30 minutes for election officials to successfully capture his fingerprints and photograph before he was accredited to vote at his polling unit in Ereguru, Ward 8, Ado-Ekiti Local Government Area. Speaking with journalists, Ojudu expressed concern that the slow accreditation process could discourage popular participation and disenfranchise many voters. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Dr Wole Oluyede, also criticised the performance of the BVAS, describing the electoral process as unacceptable after the machine malfunctioned at his polling unit in Unit 6, Ward 3, Osagburu Family Hall. Oluyede noted that only six voters had been accredited since voting began at about 8:30 a.m., as INEC officials struggled to fix the faulty machine, describing the electoral process as “nonsense” and expressing frustration that many of his supporters were yet to vote. Similarly, there were reports of BVAS difficulties in capturing the fingerprints and facial features of some elderly voters at Ward 6, Unit 005, Oke Iyinmi area of Ado Local Government, with electoral officials seen 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 the voting process, particularly for the elderly.

The EU-SDGN observation hub raised concerns over what they described as “well-organised voter inducement and vote-buying schemes,” revealing that 24 separate cases of vote-buying and voter intimidation were documented across nine local government areas. According to the report, some of the incidents were allegedly aimed at compromising the secrecy of the ballot and influencing voter choices. Civil society organisations had earlier raised alarms over reports of pre-credited bank accounts being used to harvest voters’ Permanent Voter Card details and National Identification Numbers in exchange for votes in Irepodun/Ifelodun, Ikole, Ikere, Ekiti East, and Ekiti West Local Government Areas. Premium Times reporters monitoring the election observed that party agents in Ise-Ekiti and Emure-Ekiti were using numbered slips instead of cash to facilitate vote-buying. The agents were seen asking voters to display their marked ballot papers as proof of their voting preference before issuing the numbered slips, which were believed to be linked to subsequent payments. In a separate incident, an agent of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was observed assisting some voters to thumbprint ballot papers and insert them into the ballot box at Polling Unit 007, Babafemi House, Isan, Ward 11, in Oye Local Government Area, with an official of Civil Defence present at the polling unit failing to intervene. The governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dare Bejide, alleged incidents of vote-buying and assault of his driver at his polling unit in Polling Unit 004, Ward 2, Oke Adura, Ilawe-Ekiti. Bejide accused members of the APC of openly distributing money to voters in an attempt to influence the outcome of the election and claimed that several APC leaders, including local government officials, gathered at the polling unit with large sums of money for vote-buying purposes. According to Bejide, his driver sustained injuries during an altercation at the polling unit while trying to shield him from being pushed, and was subsequently taken to a hospital for treatment. The ADC flagbearer said the incident had been reported to the police but expressed dissatisfaction with the inadequate response of security personnel at the scene. A mild drama unfolded at Unit 4, Ward 2, Ilawe Ekiti, as supporters of the APC and ADC engaged in a heated confrontation over allegations of vote-buying, which reportedly escalated into a physical altercation, leaving one ADC supporter with a head injury and requiring urgent medical attention. Responding to the allegations, APC chieftain Makinde Araoye dismissed the claims and maintained that the election was being conducted peacefully across the state, expressing confidence that Governor Biodun Oyebanji would secure re-election.

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On inclusiveness, the observers commended the active participation of women, persons with disabilities (PWDs), and other vulnerable groups in the electoral process. The Nigerian Women Trust Fund, one of the organisations within the observation hub, reported that women, who constitute about 51 per cent of the voting population in Ekiti State, participated actively as voters, polling officials, and party agents. According to the report, women accounted for 58 per cent of polling unit officials observed, while their presence on voting queues was described as significant across the state. The observers also noted substantial participation by persons with disabilities, with no major incidents of harassment or discrimination recorded. The report indicated that nearly 90 per cent of polling units observed were physically accessible to PWDs, while priority voting arrangements were implemented in more than 80 per cent of the locations monitored. However, a few operational challenges were recorded, including the initial denial of priority voting to a nursing mother in Ise/Orun Local Government Area and BVAS difficulties in capturing the biometrics of some elderly voters in Ikere Local Government Area. On security, the EU-backed observers described the overall atmosphere as calm and peaceful, noting the deployment of between five and 10 security personnel to each of the state’s 2,442 polling units. The mission said voting proceeded without significant disruption, large-scale violence, or major operational failures in most parts of the state. However, the mission disclosed that 24 incidents of violence were reported across 10 local government areas, including Ado-Ekiti, Irepodun/Ifelodun, Emure, Ido-Osi, Ilejemeje, Ijero, Ise/Orun, Gboyin, Ikole, and Oye. The observation hub further reported that journalists generally enjoyed unhindered access to polling units across the state and commended efforts by stakeholders to counter misinformation, fake news, and disinformation during the election. However, it noted that security operatives in some areas, including Ikere, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti South-West, Ekiti West, and Ikole local government areas, restricted the movement of journalists, while some party agents allegedly obstructed media practitioners from carrying out their duties.

The group urged INEC to promptly replace malfunctioning BVAS machines, extend voting hours in polling units affected by technical challenges, and ensure strict compliance with guidelines on result transmission and publication. It also called on security agencies to intensify efforts against vote-buying, maintain neutrality throughout the process, and provide adequate security during result collation. Political parties and candidates were urged to desist from voter inducement, caution their supporters against violence, and respect the will of the electorate. The observers equally advised voters to reject financial inducements, vote according to their conscience, and protect the secrecy of their ballots. Describing its findings as preliminary, the EU-SDGN Election Observation Hub said it would continue monitoring the voting, collation, and results declaration processes before issuing a comprehensive post-election assessment. The election has been viewed as a critical test of Nigeria’s electoral framework and a dress rehearsal for the 2027 general elections.

Ekiti 2026: EU Observers Hail Peaceful Poll, 96% BVAS Performance