Ekiti Voters Decide Governor Fate in Peaceful Election

ADO EKITI — More than one million registered voters in Ekiti State went to the polls Saturday to choose a governor for the next four years. The Independent National Electoral Commission opened polling units at 8:30 a.m. across all 16 local government areas.

INEC said 1,028,929 of the 1,059,360 registered voters had collected their permanent voter cards before election day. That figure represents 97 percent of the total register, the highest collection rate the state has recorded in recent years.

Incumbent Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress faces 13 challengers. No Ekiti governor has won a second term since the state returned to civilian rule in 1999, which makes Saturday’s vote a historic test for the ruling party.

Calm Atmosphere Across Polling Units

Unlike past Ekiti elections, which often drew tension and sharp rivalry, this contest unfolded under a notably calm atmosphere. Civil society monitors under the Election Observation Hub said turnout appeared steady through the morning hours.

INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan urged parties to mobilize their supporters and avoid actions that could disrupt voting. “We have done all we can to make this process credible,” Amupitan said in a statement issued ahead of the election.

Security agencies deployed officers to all 2,445 polling units in the state. The police said anyone caught trading votes, snatching ballot boxes or intimidating voters would face arrest and prosecution under the Electoral Act 2026.

A Test for the Result Viewing Portal

Observers also flagged the performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and the INEC Result Viewing portal as a key measure of credibility. Both tools faced scrutiny in past elections over technical failures.

Voting closed at 2:30 p.m., though anyone already on a queue by that time was still allowed to vote. Collation of results will follow at ward and local government levels before INEC names a winner.

Meanwhile, former Governor Ayodele Fayose was expected to cast his ballot at his usual polling unit in Afao Ekiti, a location that once served as a collation center during earlier elections.