UK congratulates Ekiti governor on re-election, flags vote buying and BVAS glitches

The British High Commission in Abuja has congratulated Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji on his re-election, while simultaneously expressing concerns regarding vote trading, technical glitches with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), and the accessibility of polling units for individuals with disabilities during the recent governorship election.

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The British High Commission in Abuja congratulates the voters in Ekiti State for their participation in the Governorship election held on 20 June 2026 and for their commitment to exercise their democratic rights. We also offer our congratulations to Governor Abiodun Abayomi Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on his re-election.

Governor Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), securing 319,224 votes across the state's 16 local government areas. He defeated his closest rivals, Wole Oluyede of the Peoples Democratic Party and Dare Bejide of the African Democratic Congress.

The High Commission commended the election's peaceful and orderly conduct by INEC and security agencies. British observers met with key stakeholders prior to the poll to assess the implementation of the Electoral Act. They noted positive collaboration between INEC officials and security personnel, which contributed to a largely peaceful voting process.

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The physical location and set-up of most polling units visited were inaccessible to voters with disabilities. We encourage continued collaboration among stakeholders to build on areas of good practice to ensure implementation at all polling units ahead of the general elections in 2027.

However, the commission highlighted that many voting centers were inaccessible to persons with disabilities, despite efforts to prioritize vulnerable voters at some locations. They encouraged continued collaboration among stakeholders to improve accessibility at all polling units for future elections. Additionally, the British mission noted delays caused by BVAS technical issues, which slowed down voting and could potentially undermine voter confidence and turnout. Concerns were also raised about vote buying and the conduct of party agents.

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Our observers also noted delays to the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) at some polling units, which slowed down voting. Technical issues risk undermining voter confidence in electoral systems and can discourage turnout.