The British High Commission in Nigeria has praised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies for ensuring a peaceful governorship election in Ekiti State but expressed concern over vote trading and technical challenges involving the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
In a statement issued on Monday, the commission said while the election was largely peaceful, incidents of vote buying and delays caused by BVAS malfunctions could weaken public trust in the democratic process.
INEC declared Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the poll after securing 319,224 votes. He defeated Wole Oluyede of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who polled 40,543 votes, and Dare Bejide of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), who garnered 12,872 votes.
Despite the outcome, the election was overshadowed by allegations of vote buying and voter suppression in some polling units. Reports also indicated that BVAS devices encountered technical difficulties, particularly in capturing the biometric details of some elderly voters, resulting in delays during accreditation and voting.
The British High Commission congratulated Ekiti residents for participating in the election and exercising their democratic rights. It also extended congratulations to Oyebanji on his re-election.
According to the commission, the Ekiti governorship poll was the first major election conducted under the Electoral Act 2026 and its accompanying guidelines. It noted that its observers engaged with INEC officials, security agencies and other stakeholders before the election to assess the implementation of the new legal framework.
“On the day of the election, our observers witnessed positive collaboration between INEC officials and security agencies, which played an important role in ensuring voting was mostly peaceful,” the statement said.
The commission, however, noted that while vulnerable voters were given priority in several polling units, many of the locations visited were not easily accessible to persons with disabilities.
It also highlighted BVAS-related delays at some polling centres, warning that technical failures could undermine voter confidence in electoral systems and discourage participation.
The UK further expressed concern over cases of vote trading and interference by party agents during the election.
“Our observation team was concerned to see instances of vote trading and interference by party agents at polling units visited. Vote trading erodes public confidence and undermines the democratic process. We call on all actors to take urgent steps to address this corrosive practice,” the statement added.
The commission urged election stakeholders to apply lessons learned from the Ekiti poll ahead of the upcoming governorship election in Osun State.
It stressed that the credibility of the 2027 general election would be critical to maintaining public confidence in democratic institutions and sustaining Nigeria’s leadership role across Africa.
The UK also reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the Nigerian government and civil society organisations in strengthening democratic institutions, promoting credible elections and building a more inclusive and accountable governance system.
