Ekiti Decides in Turmoil: Widespread Vote-Buying and BVAS Failures Rock Governorship Polls

The Ekiti State governorship election, a high-stakes contest that will determine the state's political and developmental trajectory for the next four years, saw over 1.02 million registered voters head to the polls. While 13 political parties participated, political analysts largely viewed the race as a contest between the incumbent All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Political analyst Obafemi George predicted an easy victory for the incumbent Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the APC, citing his overwhelming political support, strong grassroots structure, and weak opposition. Oyebanji is uniquely positioned, having secured the backing of all previous governors across party lines, including former governors Niyi Adebayo, Segun Oni, Kayode Fayemi, and notably, Ayodele Fayose of the PDP. This unprecedented coalition, coupled with the support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, APC leadership, National Assembly members, local government officials, traditional rulers, and various socio-political groups, bolstered his re-election bid. His administration's achievements in infrastructure, education, healthcare, agriculture, tourism, workers’ welfare, and pension payments further contributed to his frontrunner status. George highlighted Oyebanji's long-standing involvement in state politics, having served as Chief of Staff and Secretary to the State Government, allowing him to build extensive networks. The APC's dominance across all local government and ward structures was also seen as a major advantage, making it a "walk in the park" for the governor, despite his campaign's serious approach.

The opposition faced significant challenges. The PDP candidate, Chief Wole Oluyede, was criticized as a "diaspora politician" lacking a strong local base. Internal disagreements stemming from the party's primary elections weakened cohesion, and Fayose's endorsement of Oyebanji dealt a major blow to the PDP's prospects in its traditional strongholds. Oluyede himself raised concerns about delays in the voting process and alleged intimidation of voters by security operatives at his polling unit, describing the process as inefficient and potentially disenfranchising. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Engr. Oluwadare Bejide, despite being a veteran politician, lacked the formidable structure required to compete effectively against the dominant parties. The Accord Party's Opeyemi David Falegan, while visible on social media, also lacked the extensive grassroots network essential for a statewide governorship election.

The election was, however, significantly marred by widespread irregularities and electoral malpractices. Allegations and direct observations of vote-buying were rampant across the state. Officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) stormed Governor Oyebanji's polling unit amid concerns, and the Nigeria Police Force issued stern warnings against such acts. Despite these efforts, SaharaReporters observed organized vote-buying operations, particularly in Aramoko Ekiti, the governor's mother's hometown, where voters openly admitted to receiving N10,000 for APC votes. Party agents for APC and ADC were seen openly offering money (N10,000 and N2,000 respectively) near polling units. At Ward 4, Polling Unit 1, Ado-West LGA, voters were reportedly induced with cash payments of up to N15,000 under a "see and buy" arrangement. At Ward 5, Polling Unit 3, Ado-West, APC agents distributed tags to voters for later cash collection, an operation reportedly witnessed by a Senior Special Assistant to President Bola Tinubu. The Nigerian Civil Society Situation Room noted a "paradigm shift" in vote-buying, with political actors abandoning direct cash for goods, handbags, or rubber bands given after voting, particularly in rural communities. Additionally, there were allegations of the APC mobilising underage voters, with teenagers claiming promises of financial rewards for voting for Governor Oyebanji.

Technical and logistical issues also plagued the process. The Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) experienced malfunctions in several polling units, particularly struggling with facial recognition for elderly voters, who were reportedly forced to repeatedly wash their faces. This led to delays and potential disenfranchisement, with slow responses from INEC officials to address the problems. Polling units were often improperly located, sometimes in front of private residences or in areas inaccessible to Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and elderly voters. Voting cubicles were found in places with staircases or positioned in ways that violated vote secrecy. The relocation of some polling units by INEC also caused confusion and accessibility challenges. Furthermore, party agents were observed interfering in the voting process, directing officials, and assisting voters, thereby breaching the secrecy of the ballot. PDP stakeholders also alleged that agents loyal to the Wike faction of the PDP had replaced duly nominated party agents with individuals sympathetic to the APC, leading to an observed "collaboration" between PDP and APC representatives at several polling units.

Election monitoring bodies raised several concerns. The European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) Election Observation Hub warned against activities undermining credibility, identifying vote-buying, misinformation, and urban electoral violence hotspots. They expressed concern that mock accreditation did not test transmission to the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV). Yiaga Africa raised alarms over glaring inconsistencies in electoral materials, noting mismatches between ballot papers (19 parties), result sheets (15 parties), and INEC's final candidate list (14 parties), which could lead to confusion during voting and collation. They called for urgent clarification from INEC and clear guidelines for polling officials. The Nigerian Civil Society Situation Room, through Celestine Okwudili Odo, reported issues with BVAS, PWD accessibility, and noted the police's visible and professional presence but their failure to intervene proactively against voter inducement.

INEC declared its readiness for the election and distribution of materials, but faced accusations from the Social Democratic Party (SDP) of preventing them from deploying polling agents. The police deployed a multi-layered security framework, assuring safety and warning against electoral offenses, yet observations confirmed their non-intervention in clear cases of vote-buying. Despite the challenges, voters turned out, demonstrating high PVC collection rates. The election results are keenly awaited, with Oyebanji poised to achieve a historic feat if he secures a back-to-back victory in Ekiti State.