UK commends Ekiti Election as ‘mostly peaceful’, flags vote trading

The British High Commission in Nigeria has commended the conduct of the Ekiti State governorship election, describing the exercise as “mostly peaceful.”

The commission also congratulated Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress, APC, on his re-election.

Oyebanji was declared winner of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, after polling 319,224 votes.

He defeated Wole Oluyede of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who scored 40,543 votes, and Dare Bejide of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, who polled 12,872 votes.

In a statement on Monday, the British High Commission also commended INEC and security agencies for their role in the peaceful conduct of the poll.

It said its observers witnessed positive collaboration between electoral officials and security personnel during the election.

“On the day of the election, our observers witnessed positive collaboration between INEC officials and security agencies, which played an important role in ensuring voting was mostly peaceful,” the statement read.

The UK mission also praised the prioritisation of vulnerable voters at some polling units, describing it as commendable.

It, however, raised concerns over the physical location and set-up of many polling units visited, saying they were inaccessible to voters with disabilities.

The commission also noted delays caused by the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, in some polling units.

According to the UK mission, such technical issues could weaken public confidence in the electoral process and discourage voter turnout if not addressed.

“Our observers also noted delays to the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, at some polling units, which slowed down voting,” it said.

“Technical issues risk undermining voter confidence in electoral systems and can discourage turnout.”

The commission further expressed concern over cases of vote trading and interference by party agents at some polling units visited by its observer team.

“Our observation team was concerned to see instances of vote trading and interference by party agents at polling units visited,” the statement added.

“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 British High Commission said the Ekiti governorship poll was the first major election conducted under the Electoral Act 2026 and its accompanying guidelines.

It said its observers met with key stakeholders, including police and INEC officials, before the election to understand how the new legal framework was being implemented.

The commission urged electoral stakeholders to apply lessons from the Ekiti poll ahead of the forthcoming governorship election in Osun State.

It said the credibility of the 2027 general election would be critical to public confidence in democratic institutions and Nigeria’s leadership role in Africa.

The UK reaffirmed its commitment to working with the Nigerian government and civil society to strengthen democratic institutions, promote credible electoral processes and support a more inclusive and accountable democratic system.