The United Kingdom government has commended the peaceful conduct of the June 20 governorship election in Ekiti State while raising concerns over technical challenges, accessibility of polling units and alleged electoral malpractices observed during the exercise.
In a statement issued by the British High Commission in Abuja, the UK government congratulated Ekiti voters for their participation and extended congratulations to Governor Abiodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on his re-election victory.
The commission praised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and other stakeholders for the peaceful and orderly conduct of the election, noting that collaboration among local actors contributed to maintaining a largely calm voting environment.
The Ekiti governorship election was the first major electoral exercise conducted under the new Electoral Act 2026 and its accompanying guidelines. Ahead of the poll, a team of British High Commission observers engaged with key stakeholders, including INEC officials and security agencies, to assess the implementation of the new legal framework.
While the observers commended efforts to prioritise vulnerable voters at some polling units, they raised concerns over the physical arrangement and accessibility of several voting locations.
“While our team noted the prioritisation of vulnerable voters at several polling units, which is commendable, the physical location and set-up of most polling units visited were inaccessible to voters with disabilities,” the statement said.
The UK government urged Nigerian stakeholders to build on positive practices observed during the election and improve accessibility across polling units ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The observer team also highlighted technical difficulties involving the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), noting that delays affected the voting process in some locations.
“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,” the statement added.
Beyond technological challenges, the UK observers expressed concern over reports of vote trading and interference by party agents at some polling stations visited during the election.
“Our observation team were concerned to see instances of vote trading and interference by party agents at polling units visited. Vote trading erodes public confidence and undermines the democratic process. We call on all actors to take urgent steps to address this corrosive practice,” the statement said.
The UK government urged electoral authorities, political parties and other stakeholders to apply lessons from the Ekiti election as Nigeria prepares for the next off-cycle governorship election in Osun State.
It stressed that ensuring a credible electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections would be important for strengthening public confidence in democratic institutions and maintaining Nigeria’s leadership role in Africa.
The British High Commission reaffirmed its commitment to working with the Nigerian government, civil society organisations and other partners to support credible elections, stronger public institutions and a more inclusive democratic system.
