By Oche Otene
The EU-SDGN Election Observation Hub says Vote buying, ballot inconsistencies and limited accessibility for Persons with Disabilities undermined the credibility of the Ekiti election despite improvements in election logistics and technology.
The observer group disclosed this on Saturday while presenting its preliminary findings on the election.
The Hub, which deployed 598 observers across the 16 local government areas of the state, reported widespread incidents of vote buying and voter intimidation in nine LGAs, particularly in Ado Ekiti, Ido/Osi and Irepodun/Ifelodun.
Observers also identified inconsistencies in election documents. While INEC’s final candidate list contained 14 candidates, Form EC8A result sheets provided space for 15 political parties, whereas ballot papers carried 19 parties.
The group warned that the discrepancies could create confusion during collation and trigger disputes if not properly addressed.
The Hub recorded 24 security incidents across 10 local government areas, including Ado Ekiti, Ido/Osi, Oye and Irepodun/Ifelodun.
The observers noted that vote trading and voter intimidation remained significant concerns, even though election officials arrived early in most locations, with 75 per cent of polling units staffed by 7:30 a.m.,
According to them BVAS machines functioned effectively in 96 per cent of observed polling units, describing the performance as an improvement over previous off-cycle elections.
On inclusion, the group said women accounted for 58 per cent of polling officials and 87 party agents, while accessibility for Persons with Disabilities improved in many areas.
However, it notes that challenges persisted in some locations in Ado Ekiti, while a nursing mother was initially denied priority voting at a polling unit in Ido/Osi before officials later intervened.
The observers also reported restrictions on journalists in parts of Ikere, Ido/Osi, Ekiti West and Ikole local government areas.
They urged INEC to address faulty BVAS machines, ensure prompt upload of results to the IReV portal, and extend voting hours in units that opened late.
It calls on security agencies to arrest vote buyers and provide adequate protection for electoral officials and sensitive materials during collation.
The group said it would continue monitoring the collation process and release a final report after the election.
