Ekiti Decide 2026: Inside the Election, Vote Buying, BVAS Lapses and Voter Register Discrepancies Cast Shadow Over APC Landslide

Secrets Reporters

The overwhelming victory recorded by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Saturday’s Ekiti State governorship election is coming under increased scrutiny as emerging evidence points to widespread vote buying, voter inducement, BVAS irregularities, and discrepancies in voter turnout calculations that have cast a shadow over the credibility of the landslide win.

While election authorities praised the poll for improved logistics, early deployment of personnel, and the peaceful conduct of voting across much of the state, investigations reveal that beneath the orderly process were significant integrity concerns that may have influenced voter behavior and public confidence in the outcome.

According to SecretsReporters findings, vote-buying operations were widespread across several local government areas, with political agents allegedly distributing cash and other inducements to voters in exchange for electoral support. Field operatives reported witnessing coordinated efforts around polling centres where voters were allegedly monitored and rewarded after casting their ballots. The scale of the inducement activities has raised concerns that financial influence, rather than genuine voter preference, may have played a decisive role in shaping the APC’s commanding victory.

SecretsReporters findings also reveal that concerns over ballot secrecy further complicated the integrity of the election. In several polling units, overcrowding and poor crowd control reportedly made it possible for individuals to observe how voters marked their ballot papers. In some locations, voters were allegedly required to display their marked ballots to party operatives before receiving promised payments, reinforcing fears that the election environment may have enabled coercion and compromised the principle of secret voting.

The credibility of the process was also challenged by accreditation anomalies. Reports from the field indicated that some individuals presenting printed voter details were accredited and allowed to vote without physical Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), while other eligible voters were denied accreditation after the BVAS failed to authenticate their fingerprints or facial biometrics. Technical glitches involving the BVAS were also reported in several polling units before corrective measures were taken.

Adding to the controversy are questions surrounding the voter turnout figures announced after the election. Investigations revealed discrepancies between the voter register used for turnout calculations and the updated register for the 2026 governorship election. The inconsistency has fueled concerns about transparency and accuracy in the management and communication of election data.

Although the official results fell within the expected statistical range of polling-unit returns, suggesting that the final figures may not have been manipulated during collation, election observers argue that the integrity of the process extends beyond result tabulation. The widespread reports of vote buying, voter inducement, accreditation irregularities, and voter data inconsistencies raise fundamental questions about whether the APC’s landslide victory reflected the unfettered will of the electorate.

With attention already turning to the 2027 General Election, the Ekiti governorship poll is likely to reignite national debate over the growing influence of money politics, weaknesses in electoral safeguards, and the urgent need for stronger enforcement against electoral offences.

For many observers, the central question emerging from Ekiti is no longer whether the votes were counted correctly, but whether voters were truly free to make their choices without inducement, pressure, or systemic irregularities.