Una bye bye
Na hia we go march break for our first coverage of di 2026 governorship election for Ekiti state.
We go return tomorrow for more update as collation of results go start.
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Ekiti governorship election: How e happun for di 16 LGAs
Di Ekiti governorsjip election hold for 2,445 Polling Units inside 16 local govment areas.
Summary
- Sorting and counting don begin for some polling units for Ekiti election
- Voting don end for Ekiti governorship election
- Ekiti govnorship election dey happun across all di 16 local govment areas, 177 wards and 2,445 polling units of di state
- Total of 14 candidates including di current Govnor Biodun Oyebanji dey battle for di number one seat
- Election officials and security agencies say dem don put arrangements in place for smooth voting process
Live Coverage
Victor Ezeama and Annette Arotiba
Breaking, APC candidate Oyebanji win ADC candidate Bejide for im polling unit
APC govnorship candidate Biodun Oyebanji don win for di polling unit of di African Democratic Congress (ADC) govnorship candidate Dare Bejide for di ongoing Ekiti State governorship election.
Di Independent National Electoral Commission, Inec declare di result for Polling Unit 004, Ward 2, Ekiti South-West Local Government Area, wia Bejide come from.
According to di official result sheet wey di Presiding Officer sign, APC secure 140 votes to win di polling unit, while ADC get 37 votes. PDP record two votes.
Dis one mean say di incumbent govnor wey dey seek re-election win di ADC candidate for im own polling unit.
Di result dey among di early returns wey dem collate from polling units across Ekiti State as di electroal process dey ongoing.
INEC begin upload Ekiti election results on IReV
Di Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) don begin upload polling unit results from Ekiti govnorship election to dia Result Viewing Portal (IReV), about two hours afta voting end.
Di electoral commission begin upload di results at about 4:10pm on Saturday afta pipo worry say dem neva start to dey upload di results from polling units on di portal even though voting don end and counting don start for some locations.
Bifor Inec start di uploads, foto of polling unit result sheets bin don begin spread online, and among election observers, political parties, and voters.
Di delay in publishing results on IReV bin come afta Yiaga Africa, one election observation group bin raise concerns earlier on top irregularities for election materials electoral body deploy for di exercise.
Breaking, Ekiti APC guber candidate Oyebanji win polling unit
Di govnorship candidate of di All Progressives Congress (APC) wey also be di incumbent govnor of di state Biodun Oyebanji don win for im for polling unit for di Ekiti state govnorship election.
Di results wey dem announce for Polling Unit 003, Ward 06, Okelele, Ikogosi Ekiti, show say di APC secure 326 votes.
Di African Democratic Congress get two votes, di Action Democratic Party and African Action Congress record one vote each.
Electoral officers declare three votes void.
Earlier, Oyebanji wey dey seek for second term on di platform of di APC bin cast im vote alongside im wife, Olayemi for dia polling unit.
Voting don officially close for Ekiti election - Inec
Di Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) say voting don officially end for most polling units across Ekiti State.
Di polls close at 2:30 p.m.
Di electoral body say all di 2,445 Polling Units for di state open for di govnorship bifor 8:30am.
188 poling units experience small delay but dem start voting bifor 10:30am.
Dem no give reason for di delay but reports say small challenges bin dey wit di Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
According to Inec, di electoral process dey peaceful.
"Voting don officially end for most Polling Units for Ekiti State as dem close polls for 2:30 p.m. Early in di day, all 2,445 Polling Units don successfully open for di Governorship Election: ✓ 2,257 PUs (92.31%) open as e suppose bifor 8:30 a.m. ✓ 188 PUs (7.69%) get small delays but voting start bifor 10:30 a.m. Di whole process remain peaceful and orderly," Inec tok.
Former Ekiti govnor Kayode Fayemi cast im vote, say disturbance for Isan-Ekiti no be political
Former Ekiti state govnor Kayode Fayemi don cast im vote for Ward 11, Isan-Ekiti for di state govnorship election.
Fayemi say im dey impressed wit di turnout and di orderly manner wey voters take come out to perform dia civic duty and exercise dia democratic right.
E comment on di kasala wey burst for di Isan community for Friday night and say e no get anytin to do wit politics or di election.
Fayemi wey serve as govnor of Ekiti state from 2018 – 2022 say police don assure am say investigation dey go on and anybody wey dem discover say get hand for di disturbance go face justice.
Senate leader Bamidele vote for Ekiti election, say voter turnout sweet am
Nigeria Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele say im dey impressed wit di turn out of voters for di ongoing Ekiti govnorship election.
Bamidele wey vote wit im wife for dia compound for unit 003, Ward 2, Iyin Ekiti, say di pipo dey obey di new electoral law.
E tell tori pipo afta e cast im vote say e don get report bifor e comot house say tins dey go well and Inec officials tanda for dia polling stations for di election.
"Bifor I comot my house I make call to find out how tins dey go for different local govments, and I dey impressed wit di report wey I get and how tins dey go about voters turn out."
"On di part of Inec, I dey impressed wit di report I get, as dem reach di polling units fast, na improvement for our electoral system."
Di senate leader say im like as voters and party pipo dey obey di new electoral act for dis election.
"Dis na di first major election under di new electoral law, I see compliance from parties, and voters and pipo dey aware of di electoral offences wey dey."
Howeva, counting don begin for some polling units for Ekiti as di election dey ready to close.
Yiaga Africa observe inconsistency for di ballot papers and result sheets for Ekiti govnorship election
Election observation group, Yiaga Africa tok say dem don identify inconsistencies between ballot papers, result sheets, and di list of candidates wey di Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) publish for di Ekiti govnorship election.
For one statement wey Aisha Abdullahi, di chair of Yiaga Africa 2026 Ekiti Election Observation Mission, and Samson Itodo, di organisation Executive Director issue on Saturday, di election observation group tok say preliminary findings show say differences dey for di number of political parties wey dey key election materials wey Inec use.
According to di organisation, Form EC8A polling unit result sheets contain spaces for 15 political parties, while di ballot papers wey dey in circulation carry di names of 19 parties.
However, Inec final list of candidates wey dem update on 18 June and publish on dia website, show say na only 14 political parties get candidates for di election.
Yiaga Africa warn say di inconsistencies fit cause confusion during voting and result collation.
Sorting and counting don start as voting end!
Article Information - Author, Tunde Ososanya
- Role, Senior Journalist, BBC News Pidgin
Sorting and counting don begin for di Ekiti State govnorship election as voting don end.
In case una just dey join us, na 14 political parties dey participate for today election for Ekiti State.
Di election go determine who go lead di state for di next four years and shape conversations around governance, development and political direction for one of Nigeria politically engaged states.
Govnorship elections for Nigeria dey often attract national attention, but Ekiti don build reputation ova di years as state wia elections na fierce contest and observers dey closely monitor and analyse voters decisions.
From changes in political leadership to debates around continuity and performance, di election dey expected to draw interest from voters, political observers and stakeholders across di kontri.
Ekiti get 1,059,360 registered voters. Dis number increase by 66,000 compared to di number of registered voters for di last election for 2022.
Voting take place across all di 16 local govment areas, 177 wards and 2,445 polling units of di state.
Polling units bin open by 8:30 am.
'Keep our state peaceful' - APC govnorship candidate Oyebanji tell voters
Govnor Biodun Oyebanji wey be di candidate of di All Progressives Congress for di Ekiti State govnorship election don tell voters say make dem no cause any kasala for di ongoing poll.
Di govnor cast im vote for im polling unit wia e say di election still dey go on smoothly for now.
Oyebanji say make evri single voter dey peaceful and make dem exercise dia voting right witout wahala.
E dey compete wit 13 oda govnorship candidates for di election.
Ekiti State govnorship election in fotos
Article Information - Author, Tunde Ososanya
- Role, Senior Journalist, BBC News Pidgin
Nigerian police warn against vote-buying and oda electoral offences
Di Nigeria Police Force don warn against vote-buying, vote selling, ballot box snatching, violence, intimidation and anytin wey fit scata di govnorship election wey dey go on for Ekiti state, southwest Nigeria.
Di police for statement say dem no tolerate any electoral offence wey go challenge democracy for di state.
Dem say dem go arrest and prosecute any offender wey dem catch in accordance wit di law.
Hours into di Ekiti govnorship election, police say di electoral process dey go on peacefully across di state.
For statement wey di Force release to give update on di election, dem say dia officers dey across all di polling units and critical locations to ensure public safety, maintain law and order, and support electoral process.
ADC candidate Oluwadare Bejide driver chop beating for polling station
Article Information - Author, Tunde Ososanya
- Role, Senior Journalist, BBC News Pidgin
Kasala burst for one polling unit and di driver of di African Democratic Congress (ADC) govnorship candidate for di Ekiti State poll, Oluwadare Bejide, chop beating.
Video wey dey circulate online show as dem wrap bandage for im head wey dey bleed.
Inside di video, di driver say dem knack am back of gun for head.
Bejide say na vote-buying cause di kasala wey involve party officials, security operatives and im driver wey chop beating.
Bejide bin cast im vote for Ward 2, Unit 4, Ilawe Ekiti, Ekiti West Local Govment Area.
Govnor of Ekiti State Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji cast im vote
Ekiti State Govnor Biodun Oyebanji don cast im vote for PU 003, RA 06 Ekiti West.
Di govnor wey dey contest under di platform of di All Progressives Congress (APC) tell residents say make dem dey patient as Inec dey do evritin to make sure say di electoral process dey peaceful and smooth.
"Evritin dey positive, and di election dey go on smoothly. Di pipo dey happy, and voter turnout dey impressive," di govnor tok.
"We dey satisfied. However, I need to appeal to our pipo make dem remain patient wit Inec. "All of dis technical glitches, Inec don personally assure me say dem go handle am."
Former govnor of Ekiti Ayodele Fayose caste im vote
Former Ekiti State govnor Ayodele Fayose don cast im vote for im Polling Unit 1, St. David Primary School, Afao-Ekiti, Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Govment Area of Ekiti State.
How security officials tanda for Ekiti govnorship election?
Heavy security tanda for Ekiti State for di ongoing govnorship election.
BBC observe say heavy security presence dey for road, streets and polling units across di state on Saturday.
Security officers carry weapons as dem dey at alert to counter any gbege wey fit happun for di election.
Di Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) also dey on ground to combat vote-buying.
Isan-Ekiti incident no dey related to election violence - Police CP Shogunle
Di Ekiti Police Command on Saturday say di reports on di gbege wey happun for Isan-Ekiti no dey connected to di ongoing govnorship election as di mata happun from one community football match on Friday.
On Saturday morning, many residents bin dey fear as report spread say two police officers die for di attack as youths begin fight on Friday night to protest against vote-buying ahead of di Saturday poll.
Abayomi Shogunle, di commissioner of police for di 2026 Ekiti State govnorship election on Saturday ontop X, say di incident wey happun on Friday night for Isan-Ekiti community, Oye Local Govment Area of Ekiti State na becos of football match.
Shogunle tok say police officers don contain and de-escalate di tension, as voting continue for di state on early mor-mor on Saturday.
"Di gbege wey happun for Isan-Ekiti last night no be election/political related. Na becos of di football match for di community," Shogunle tok.
"Necessary containment and de-escalation measures don dey in place, dem don restore calmness. Voting go still hold dis morning for di town as scheduled," e add
Shogunle no tok about if two police officers die or not.
PDP candidate cast vote, protest against alleged voters harassment
Wole Oluyede, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) govnorship candidate for di ongoing Ekiti Election, don cast im vote for ward 2, unit 3, Osagburu Hall, Ikere Local Govment Area.
Oluyede allege say police officers dey harass members of im political party, block voters from accessing dia polling units for di community
E also allege say di “heavy deployment” of police officers for im community too much.
Oluyede say dis afta im cast im vote for polling unit 06 for Osagburu/Hall Oke Oloti, Ward 03 Ugele Arokun for Ikere Ekiti.
"Di process dey useless. Pipo don dey here for about one and half hours, and na only five pipo don vote for my polling unit. Dis na wetin dem dey do all di time. I dey suspect say somtin dey wrong wit di Inec process," Oluyede tok.
"I go stay around. If dem dey vote five per hour, e dey sad. You no fit disenfranchise dis pipo. Dem deserve democracy. I dey confident say pipo go tanda for here to see di process. You fit go down dia make you see di army or police officers wey dey harass pipo. I get evidence to show."
Police deploy officers, release hotline for Ekiti govnorship election
Di Nigeria Police Force don intensify dia security presence and release emergency contact lines for di 2026 Ekiti govnorship elections.
Inside one memo wey dem release on Saturday, di police say dem don deploy adequate officers, resources across di state to ensure peaceful, secure, and credible election.
Di secuirity agency tell citizens say make dem follow election rules and report any emergencies.
"Make citizens conduct demsefs peacefully, obey electoral guidelines, and report any suspicious activities to security agencies," di police tok.
Election emergency line: 080062335577
Candidates wey dey contest for di Ekiti State govnorship election
Na 14 candidates dey for dis election, including di incumbent Govnor Biodun Oyebanji.
Inec say Ekiti get 1,059,360 registered voters. Dis number increase by 66,000 compared to di number of registered voters for di last election wey happun for 2022.
Who be di candidates?
1. A
Govnorship: Falegan Opeyemi David
Deputy-Govnorship: Omoyeni Bayode
2. AA
Govnorship: Omotosho Matthew Olu
Deputy Govnorship: Ayodeji Olumide George
3. AAC
Govnorship: Akande Oluwasegun Samuel
Deputy Govnorship: Fajuyigbe Oluwasanmi John
4. ADC
Govnorship: Belloje Oluyindare Patrick
Deputy Govnorship: Babatola Ayodeji
5. ADP
Govnorship: Ojo Ayodele
Deputy Govnorship: Isitoye Itunu
6. APC
Govnorship: Oyebanji Abiodun Abayomi
Deputy Govnorship: Afuye Monisade
7. APM
Govnorship: Anifowose Joseph Olanrewaju
Deputy Govnorship: Ilesanmi Margaret Adenike
8. APP
Govnorship: Awogbemi Bidemi Olaiya
Deputy Govnorship: Adewumi Akinyemi
9. LP
Govnorship: Olajuyin Ikuasayedegbe Oyehanji
Deputy Govnorship: Okumade Ayokunle Odumayo
10. NNPP
Govnorship: Abegunde Ayodami Blessing
Deputy Govnorship: Ajayi Francis Ade
11. PDP
Govnorship: Oluyede Olumayokun Oluwole
Deputy Govnorship: Ogunsakin Kazeem Ayodeji
12. PRP
Govnorship: Ayodele Olaniyi Olanrewaju Praise
Deputy Govnorship: Adebiyi Modupe Dorcas
13. YPP
Govnorship: Osinkolu Olusegun Ayodele
Deputy Govnorship: Arowolo David Olusesan
14. ZLP
Govnorship: Adetunji Victor Damilola
Deputy Govnorship: Oyeniyi Adesina Charles