Oyebanji poised to break Ekiti’s second-term jinx as voter turnout surges

…INEC expected to confirm record voter turnout

…PDP candidate alleges voter intimidation

…ADC flagbearer raises vote-buying concerns

…Observers commend peaceful conduct

…Voter apathy at Fayemi’s home town

…Group tasks INEC on BVAS

Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) appears set to break Ekiti State’s long-standing second-term jinx following what observers described as an impressive voter turnout in Saturday’s governorship election.

Since the creation of Ekiti State in 1996, no governor has successfully completed two consecutive, uninterrupted terms in office. The outcome of the election, which will be officially declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), will determine whether Oyebanji becomes the first governor to overcome that political hurdle.

The election may also mark a departure from the state’s history of low voter participation, as reports from across the 16 local government areas indicated an unusually high turnout and strong voter enthusiasm.

Speaking after casting his vote at Okelele Ward 6, Polling Unit 3, Ikogosi, in Ekiti West Local Government Area, Oyebanji expressed satisfaction with the turnout and confidence in his chances.

The governor, who voted at about 11:30 a.m., said the APC’s target of 500,000 votes was achievable.

“If the processes work well, and everybody votes, we should cross that mark,” he said.

Responding to allegations of voter intimidation raised by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Oyebanji dismissed the claims as unproven.

“He who alleges must prove, so it’s in the realm of an allegation,” he said.

Earlier, the PDP governorship candidate, Wole Oluyede, alleged that voters were being intimidated at his polling unit.

Speaking with journalists at Osaguru Hall, Unit 6, Ward 3, Ikere-Ekiti, Oluyede expressed concern over developments around the voting process.

Similarly, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Dare Bejide, alleged incidents of vote buying at Ward 2, Unit 4, Ilawe-Ekiti, in Ekiti Southwest Local Government Area.

However, Yemi Adaramodu, who represents Ekiti South Senatorial District, dismissed the allegations and insisted that there was no evidence of vote trading by APC members.

“You can see, you can look around. Have you ever seen anybody retailing votes for sale? Have you seen anybody exchanging votes for money? Where is it? Because when somebody is about to lose an election, you see all these kinds of frivolous allegations,” he said after voting at Unit 1, Ward 11, Ilawe-Ekiti.

Earlier in the day, some polling units experienced technical hitches as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) failed to capture a number of voters.

The situation reportedly caused anxiety among some elderly voters at Ugele/Arokun Ward, Unit 006, in Ikere Local Government Area, where accreditation was briefly disrupted.

Despite the isolated incidents, election observers generally described the exercise as peaceful and orderly.

Ahead of the election, political parties embarked on extensive mobilisation campaigns across the state, a factor many observers believe contributed to the high turnout recorded on election day.

Some election monitors, however, suggested that the unprecedented turnout may also have been influenced by allegations of voter inducement and other forms of electoral compromise.

While no official report has substantiated claims of vote buying, observers noted that unlike previous elections, operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) were not visibly deployed across polling units to monitor the exercise.

During the 2022 governorship election in Ekiti, EFCC officials arrested several individuals suspected to be party agents over allegations of vote buying, with reports indicating that voters were offered between N1,000 and N10,000 in exchange for support.

One observer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, argued that vote buying may have evolved beyond election-day transactions.

“People are now wiser. But that does not mean that vote buying and voter compromise are not happening. We watched the videos of the parties during their campaign. We saw how all manners of items and envelopes were handed out to the people in the name of empowerment. These were clearly vote-buying. The allegation that politicians have weaponised poverty is real. Don’t forget that it was in Ekiti State that ‘stomach infrastructure’ originated and popularised. The huge turnout is good, but the question is, is it organic? It is not yet a celebration time,” the observer said.

According to the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), the average voter turnout in the last three governorship elections in Ekiti stood at 42.72 per cent, significantly below the global average of 66.1 per cent.

INEC data also shows that voter turnout in Nigeria generally ranges between 30 and 35 percent, compared with 65 to 70 percent in many democracies around the world.

Before the poll, INEC had announced that 1,059,360 voters were registered for the election, while 1,028,929 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) had been collected, representing a collection rate of 97.1 percent. The commission said 30,431 PVCs remained uncollected.

Ekiti’s history of low voter turnout

Historically, voter participation has remained one of the major challenges in Ekiti elections.

Data from previous governorship elections show that turnout has consistently remained below 50 percent of registered voters. The highest turnout in the state’s democratic history was recorded in 2014, when 49.12 percent of registered voters participated in the election.

In contrast, the 2022 governorship election recorded one of the lowest turnout rates, with only 36.47 percent of registered voters casting their ballots.

Whether Saturday’s exercise has finally reversed that trend will become clearer when INEC releases the official turnout figures alongside the final election results.

Voter apathy at Fayemi’s hometown

Meanwhile, there was voter apathy in Iṣan-Ekiti, the hometown of the immediate past Governor Kayode Fayemi, as many residents stayed away from Polling Units following the killing of a youth in the community by an unidentified Police officer, which occurred on the eve of the election.

Speaking on the development, the Onisan of Iṣan-Ekiti, Oba Adejuwon, clarified that the incident was not politically motivated.

According to the monarch, the unfortunate incident was a disagreement between two youths in the community and should not be linked to election-related violence.

Other community stakeholders, including the representative of women in the community, Adesola Adejuwon, the President of the Iṣan Progressive Union, Professor Matthew Oluwamukomi and Olaoluwa Daodu, however, appealed to residents to remain calm and participate in the electoral process.

They assured the public that the situation had been brought under control and urged eligible voters to go out peacefully and exercise their constitutional right to vote.

The community leaders also called on security agencies to ensure the safety of residents and maintain peace throughout the election period.

Group tasks INEC on BVAS

The Case Tracking and Response Centre (CTRC), coordinated by Balm in Gilead Foundation for Sustainable Development (BIGIF), has called on the INEC to promptly resolve all BVAS and network-related challenges, ensure uninterrupted voting in affected polling units, and continue prioritising vulnerable groups in the Ekiti State governorship election.

The Centre, in a statement made available to journalists on Saturday in Akure, said the reports of BVAS malfunctioning, inability to accredit elderly voters and network failures have been received from: Ado, Moba, Ikere, Emure, Efon, Ekiti West, Oye LGAs, among others.

According to the statement, “these challenges resulted in delays in accreditation and voting, leading to frustration and agitation among voters. In some locations, replacement BVAS devices were reported as corrective actions by INEC; however, network connectivity continues to slow the accreditation process.

“Several elderly voters who arrived early for accreditation were unable to complete the process after repeated BVAS attempts failed. These incidents raise concerns regarding the accessibility of biometric systems for elderly populations in electoral processes.

“Strong participation of elderly voters, and a number of elderly voters who arrived early for accreditation were unable to complete the process of BVAS accreditation after numerous attempts failed.

“Reports of alleged vote-trading were received from Ado, Moba, Ikere, Emure, Efon, Ekiti West, Oye, Ijero, Ikole and Ekiti East LGAs. Community Observers noted that in some polling units, individuals were allegedly paid after casting their votes, while party agents were reported to be distributing tickets or directing voters to nearby locations where payments ranging from 10,000 Naira to 20,000 Naira were allegedly being made.

“The Centre condemns all forms of vote trading and voter inducement, as these undermine the integrity of the electoral process.

“Security agencies are urged to intensify surveillance around polling units and surrounding areas, investigate reports of vote trading, and ensure offenders are apprehended and prosecuted in accordance with the law.

“Security agents and INEC are urged to sustain professionalism and impartiality throughout the election. Political parties and their supporters are encouraged to refrain from all forms of vote trading, voter inducement, and intimidation, and to respect the rights of citizens to vote freely without coercion.

“Citizens are also called upon to continue conducting themselves peacefully, report incidents of electoral malpractice through appropriate channels, and remain patient where operational delays occur, allowing electoral officials to complete the process.

“The Centre equally urged citizens to stop selling their votes as this is unlawful and unpatriotic.

“The Centre commends the electorates for the relatively peaceful conduct and particularly acknowledges the impressive participation of women, elderly persons and other vulnerable groups in the election.

“We urge all stakeholders to remain committed to peaceful participation

as voting continues across the State. Every eligible voter should be given the opportunity to cast their vote freely, safely, without intimidation and in an inclusive environment.

“The Centre will continue to monitor developments across Ekiti State and provide further updates as additional reports are received. Together, let us safeguard the integrity of the electoral process and strengthen democracy in Ekiti State.”

Oyebanji wins Bamidele’s polling unit

Oyebanji has secured a landslide at the polling unit of the Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele.

Delivering the outcome of the election Saturday afternoon, Polling Officer, Elizabeth Oregbemeh, disclosed that Oyebanji polled 164 votes while his closest rival and the governorship candidate PDP, Wole Oluyede, only scored eight.

According to the polling officer, the governorship candidate of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), Ayodeji Ojo, came a distant third with one vote.

Bamidele had earlier expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the Ekiti State governorship election, commending the impressive voter turnout across the state.

He also commended the INEC for the prompt deployment of electoral officials and materials across 16 local governments of the state.