Ekiti gov poll met global standards – Rights groups

A coalition of human rights organizations, operating under the banner of the Nigerian Human Rights Community, has affirmed that the governorship election held in Ekiti State on June 20 met global standards for credibility, freeness, and fairness.

The coalition, which deployed over 200 observers across the state, concluded that the election "reflected the genuine democratic choice of the electorate." Their report highlighted that the process was peaceful and largely free from the violence, ballot snatching, and other irregularities that have plagued past elections in the country.

Biodun Oyebanji, the candidate for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), was declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). He secured 319,224 votes, decisively defeating his closest rivals: Olumayokun Oluyede of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who garnered 40,533 votes, and Dare Bejide of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), who received 12,872 votes. The APC's victory was observed across all 16 local government areas of the state.

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the election reflected the genuine democratic choice of the electorate, was peaceful and largely devoid of the violence, ballot snatching and other irregularities that had marred previous elections.

The rights groups specifically commended INEC for its enhanced electoral processes, particularly the successful implementation of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and the electronic transmission of results. They noted that these innovations significantly boosted transparency, accountability, and credibility while mitigating electoral fraud. The coalition stated, "Compared with global standards, the election met international expectations."

Despite their positive assessment, the coalition recommended electoral reforms, including provisions for special categories of voters such as journalists, health workers, and security personnel on duty during elections. They also praised the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ekiti State, Dr. Bunmi Omoseyindemi, and his team for their professionalism and transparency in managing the election.

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Compared with global standards, the election met international expectations. This is attributable to the improvements recorded by INEC over the years and the professionalism demonstrated by its officials during the poll.