Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
ABUJA, Nigeria – The British High Commission in Abuja has congratulated the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and the people of Ekiti State for the peaceful conduct of Saturday's governorship election, while simultaneously raising serious concerns over vote trading, delays caused by the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), and the inaccessibility of polling units for persons with disabilities.
In a statement issued on Monday, June 22, 2026, the British High Commission described the election as "peaceful and orderly" and welcomed the positive collaboration between INEC officials and security agencies, which it said "played an important role in ensuring voting was mostly peaceful". The mission also congratulated Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on his re-election, noting that he secured victories across all 16 local government areas of the state.
However, the UK observer team noted significant technical and procedural challenges. It reported delays to the BVAS at several polling units, which slowed down the voting process. "Technical issues risk undermining voter confidence in electoral systems and can discourage turnout," the statement read.
More critically, the British observers expressed concern over instances of vote trading and interference by party agents at polling units visited. "Vote trading erodes public confidence and undermines the democratic process," the High Commission said, calling on "all actors to take urgent steps to address this corrosive practice".
The observer team also raised concerns about the physical accessibility of polling stations. While it commended the prioritisation of vulnerable voters at several polling units, the mission noted that "the physical location and set-up of most polling units visited were inaccessible to voters with disabilities". The UK encouraged continued collaboration among Nigerian stakeholders to "build on areas of good practice to ensure implementation at all polling units ahead of the general elections in 2027".
Looking ahead, the British High Commission urged INEC, security agencies and political parties to apply lessons from the Ekiti poll as preparations begin for the Osun State governorship election and the 2027 general elections. The mission reaffirmed the United Kingdom's commitment to supporting Nigeria in strengthening democratic institutions and promoting credible, inclusive and accountable electoral processes.
The Ekiti election, which took place on June 20, 2026, was the first major test under the new Electoral Act 2026. Governor Oyebanji secured a decisive victory with 319,224 votes, defeating his closest rival, Dr. Wole Oluyede of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who polled 40,533 votes.
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