Ekiti 2026: PDP gov candidate laments BVAS failure

Dr. Wole Oluyede, the governorship candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State, expressed strong dissatisfaction with the electoral process, specifically citing the malfunctioning of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS). Oluyede, who cast his vote at Unit 6, Ward 3, Osagburu Family Hall, lamented that the BVAS device was not functioning properly, significantly impacting his accreditation and that of his supporters.

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The electoral process is nonsense. A lot of my people are yet to vote because the BVAS is not functioning properly.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria, only six individuals had been accredited by 8:30 a.m. at Oluyede's polling unit, despite voting having commenced. INEC officials were observed attempting to rectify the machine's performance. Oluyede condemned the situation, calling the electoral process "nonsense" and highlighting that a substantial number of his supporters were unable to cast their votes due to the BVAS failures. He indicated his intention to file formal reports regarding these irregularities.

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I am not happy with the current electoral process; this is not the first time that the machine is being faulty at my polling unit.

Beyond the technical issues, Oluyede also raised concerns about the alleged harassment of his supporters at various polling units by security agencies. He described these actions as undemocratic and noted that media coverage of these incidents was lacking. Despite casting his own vote, Oluyede stated he would remain to ensure all his supporters could exercise their right to vote. He urged INEC to ensure greater transparency in the electoral proceedings.

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Some of my followers are being harassed at the polling units by security agencies and no media is reporting the incident.