Ekiti 2026 Showdown: Yiaga Flags Irregularities In Ballots And Candidates List

In the current Ekiti State governorship elections, Yiaga Africa has claimed that there are differences between the ballot papers, result sheets, and the list of candidates released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In a statement signed by Samson Itodo, Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, and Dr. Aisha Abdullahi, Chair of the 2026 Ekiti Election Observation Mission Yiaga Africa, the two specifically called attention to the Form EC8A polling unit result sheets, which offered spaces for 15 political parties instead of the 19 parties listed on the ballot papers in circulation.

“Yiaga Africa is observing the Ekiti State governorship election, and our preliminary findings raise serious concerns about the consistency of the materials INEC has deployed.

“As of 8:30 am, 96% of the observers from our 250 randomly sampled polling units were at the polling unit to observe the election.

“Yiaga Africa recognizes the context. After INEC published its initial list of 12 candidates in January 2026, subsequent court rulings (notably on the PDP’s candidacy) and late administrative changes altered party and candidate participation.

“Some of those changes do not appear to have been fully and consistently reflected across all election materials.

“Also, the public may not have fully received information about these changes.

“These inconsistencies might create confusion during voting and collation. Where result sheets include parties that are not on the ballot, presiding officers may record zero votes for parties that voters did not see.

“Conversely, where voters cast ballots for parties not reflected on the result sheet, such actions could create uncertainty in recording, reconciliation, and collation.”

It also demanded that the Commission “Issue clear written instructions to presiding and collation officers on completing result sheets consistently with the law and relevant court judgments, including how to treat parties on the result sheet but not on the ballot and vice versa.”

As the Ekiti 2026 elections approach, the allegations of inconsistencies raised by Yiaga underscore the importance of transparency and integrity in the electoral process. Ensuring that all ballots, result sheets, and candidate lists are accurate and tamper-proof is crucial for upholding public trust and democracy.

It is imperative for INEC and other stakeholders to thoroughly investigate these claims and take necessary actions to guarantee a free, fair, and credible election.