Ekiti Election Results Uploaded as Collation Begins Amid Tensions

The Independent National Electoral Commission has uploaded the vast majority of polling station data following the conclusion of the Ekiti State gubernatorial race. Official tallying is set to commence sequentially at designated centers, providing immediate public visibility into a highly competitive vote that will determine the state’s executive leadership.

Maduoma also disclosed that in Ijero Local Government Area, Ward D, Polling Unit 002, observers similarly reported instances of voters being influenced by party agents during the election.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reportedly uploaded about 90 per cent of polling unit results from the Ekiti State governorship election to its Result Viewing Portal (IReV), signaling significant progress in the collation process as stakeholders await the official outcome of the keenly contested poll.

As of Saturday evening, before this report, results from 2,208 of the state’s 2,445 polling units had been transmitted to the portal, providing voters, political parties and election observers with near real-time access to election results across the state.

The development comes as voters await the outcome of the off-cycle governorship election, which has attracted considerable attention.

Among the contestants is the incumbent Governor, Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who is seeking a second term in office ahead of the expiration of his first tenure in October.

Oyebanji faces competition from several opposition candidates, including Oluwole Oluyede of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Oluwadare Bejide of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Oyebanji Olajuyin of the Labour Party (LP), and Blessing Abegunde of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

Other candidates participating in the election are Samuel Akande of the African Action Congress (AAC), Ayodeji Ojo of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), Opeyemi Felegan of Accord, Joseph Anifowose of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Bidemi Awogbemi of the Action Peoples Party (APP), Olaniyi Ayodele of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), and Victor Adetunji of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

In a notable micro-level outcome, Governor Oyebanji secured a decisive victory at Polling Unit 001, St David’s Primary School/Maternity Area, located in Afao-Ekiti within the Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area. This specific area represents the hometown of former Governor Ayodele Fayose.

Official figures from the INEC Form EC8A document revealed that out of 931 registered individuals, 538 voters were successfully accredited. The final tally at the unit showed Oyebanji earning 448 votes, while Bejide of the ADC claimed 37 votes. Oluyede of the PDP and the ADP candidate received 4 votes each, with 493 ballots deemed valid and 7 rejected.

The steady upload of polling unit results to the IReV portal is expected to enhance transparency in the electoral process by allowing political parties, election observers and members of the public to independently monitor and verify results as they are received from polling units across the state.

INEC’s IReV platform has become a key component of Nigeria’s electoral process, enabling real-time access to polling unit results and providing an additional layer of accountability during elections.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Ekiti State, Bunmi Omoseyindemi, confirmed the operational timeline for the subsequent phases of the tabulation process. Omoseyindemi announced during a television appearance that local government results were arriving steadily at headquarters.

“We are expecting the results and will start the collation process by 10 o’clock on the dot,” the Resident Electoral Commissioner stated.

With the majority of polling unit results already available on the IReV portal, attention is now focused on the completion of collation at the ward, local government and state levels, where the final outcome of the election will be determined.

INEC officials continue to receive and process results from the remaining polling units, while political parties and supporters closely monitor the exercise ahead of the formal declaration of the winner of the Ekiti governorship election.

Parallel to the official transmission, the ruling All Progressives Congress expressed complete certainty regarding its statewide performance. Party representatives asserted that field reports from various levels indicated sweeping victories, attributing this outcome to aggressive grassroots campaigns.

The party’s spokesperson in Ekiti State, Segun Dipe, said the APC’s optimism was not based on mere expectation but on what he described as the realities emerging from the election results. Dipe noted that indications from the field showed a clear mandate, thanking voters for their dedication.

“It is not about optimism; it is about what has happened. We have recorded victory in every polling unit, in every ward and in every local government. We worked for it and we earned it,” he said.

There have been allegations of vote buying across the state with leading parties such as the All Progressives Congress (APC), African Democratic Congress (ADC) among those accused of involving in vote buying schemes.

The CLEEN Foundation had raised concerns over vote-buying, voter inducement, security gaps, and operational shortcomings during the governorship election in Ekiti State, warning that the incidents observed in parts of the state threaten the integrity of the electoral process and require urgent intervention by relevant authorities.

The concerns were made known by the Executive Director of CLEEN Foundation, Peter Maduoma, following the organisation’s observation and analysis of developments across polling units during the election.

According to Maduoma, election observers deployed by the foundation recorded incidents involving party agents in some areas of the state, particularly in Ado Ekiti and Ijero Local Government Area, where voters were allegedly influenced after casting their ballots.

He said that in Ado Ekiti, Oke Ila Ward, Polling Unit 07, party members were reportedly seen issuing tally slips to voters after they had cast their ballots and directing them to a location outside the polling unit, an action that raised suspicion of possible vote-buying or voter inducement.

“These incidents underscore the need for closer monitoring of party agent activities to ensure compliance with electoral guidelines and to safeguard the integrity of the voting process,” Maduoma said.

The CLEEN Foundation noted that beyond the conduct of party agents, its observations also revealed serious concerns about the role and conduct of security personnel deployed for the election, especially around the issue of neutrality and professionalism.

According to the organisation, 46.3 per cent of security officials were perceived by observers as not being impartial, a development it described as troubling and capable of undermining public confidence in election security.

While acknowledging that a majority of security operatives arrived early for duty, the foundation said the lapses observed still pointed to the need for systemic reforms in election security management.

History of Ekiti Off-Cycle Elections

Ekiti State operates on an off-cycle electoral calendar, separate from Nigeria’s general election cycle, due to a landmark 2008 judicial ruling that overturned the 2007 gubernatorial election results. This structural shift makes Ekiti a critical testing ground for the Independent National Electoral Commission’s technological advancements, such as the IReV portal and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS). The 2026 contest represents a pivotal gauge of public sentiment toward the ruling All Progressives Congress administration under Governor Biodun Oyebanji, who is seeking a second four-year mandate against a highly fragmented opposition coalition.

FAQs

What percentage of polling unit results did INEC upload to the IReV portal?

INEC successfully transmitted approximately 90 per cent of the individual polling unit results, representing 2,208 out of the state’s 2,445 total voting stations, providing real-time data accessibility to public stakeholders.

When does the official collation of the Ekiti election results begin?

The Resident Electoral Commissioner for Ekiti State announced that the formal collation of results from the various local government areas will officially commence at 10 p.m. on election night.

What infractions did election observers report during the voting process?

Civil society groups, including the CLEEN Foundation, documented several instances of alleged vote buying, voter inducement via tally slips, and operational gaps, noting that 46.3 per cent of security personnel were perceived as lacking complete impartiality.

Who won the election at former Governor Ayodele Fayose’s polling unit?

Incumbent Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress won the unit decisively, securing 448 votes out of 493 valid ballots cast at Polling Unit 001 in Afao-Ekiti.