Ekiti Governorship Poll Peaceful, Orderly Despite Isolated Start-up Delays
Voting in the Ekiti governorship election began early at many polling units, with polls opening at 8:30 a.m. A few units experienced delays due to late transportation for polling officials. The...
Voting in the Ekiti governorship election began early at many polling units, with polls opening at 8:30 a.m. A few units experienced delays due to late transportation for polling officials. The process was orderly and peaceful at several centres visited in Ado-Ekiti.
At many polling units, voters turned out in large numbers to confirm their names and queue for accreditation. The Bi-Modal Accreditation System worked well in nearly all the units visited, though Voice FM radio reported isolated BVAS malfunctions in some units in Ikere, where the machines allegedly undercounted voters.
Polling officials arrived late at some units in Ward 9, Ado-Ekiti. At Unit 42, officials were still setting up cubicles at 8:34 a.m., while voting at Unit 26 did not begin until 9:10 a.m. The polling officer attributed the delay to transportation challenges. As of 9:00 a.m., officials were still looking for chairs and tables at the school-based centre, which had 174 registered voters.
At Ward 9, Unit 3, in front of Adebayo Estate, INEC officials had no canopy and had to move under the shade of a nearby house. The officials arrived at 8:50 a.m., and the unit had 692 registered voters. At Ward 9, Unit 23, which had 1,268 registered voters and two BVAS machines, polling did not begin until 8:55 a.m.
Voters turned out early and behaved orderly. At Ward 5, Unit 8, in front of the palace of the Ewi of Ado-Ekiti, voting began promptly at 8:30 a.m.; the unit had 703 registered voters. At Ward 4, Unit 3, Ado-Ekiti, INEC officials arrived early for pre-election formalities, and voting also started at 8:30 a.m. By 9:50 a.m., 64 of the unit’s 861 registered voters had cast their ballots.
INEC officials arrived late at the two polling units hosted by the University of Ado-Ekiti. As of 9:00 a.m., officials at Ward 9, Unit 25, had only just begun announcing voting procedures.
Security
Security personnel were present at several polling units visited, including officers from federal agencies such as the police, Civil Defence, Road Safety, Customs and the Correctional Services. Police deployment was particularly strong, with some units having as many as five officers and others having two or three.
Unlike in previous elections, security personnel did not mount roadblocks, and vehicles were not subjected to random stops and checks.
State security outfits, including Amotekun, were not involved in election duties, following an earlier police directive barring them from participating.
Businesses in Session
Although many shops in Ado-Ekiti were closed, some businesses remained open. Barbing salons and food vendors, particularly those selling bread and cooked meals, were operating and making brisk sales.
Turnout Perception
It was too early to judge overall voter turnout, although larger crowds were observed in densely populated areas around the palace and Ajilosun. Nearly two hours after voting began, none of the polling units visited had reached 50 percent turnout among registered voters.
BVAS Performance
The Bimodal Voter Accreditation System worked well in many polling units, though a few recorded malfunctions. In Afao, Ikere, one unit’s BVAS failed to capture the faces of some elderly voters, while another malfunction was reported at Afao Ward 4, Unit 4.
In Ado-Ekiti, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, who voted at Ward 8, Ereguru, said it took 30 minutes for the BVAS to capture his details. He urged INEC to promptly address such BVAS malfunctions to make the voting process less cumbersome. At a briefing on Wednesday, INEC’s IT department had said voter accreditation and voting would take only one minute per voter.
Movement Across the Streets
Movement across Ado-Ekiti was largely unrestricted, with many election-duty vehicles on the roads. Both elderly voters and young people turned out, with women forming most of the queues.
Vote Trading
If vote trading occurred at any polling unit, it was not openly visible. However, canvassers were seen speaking with voters at some units and directing them to nearby corners after they cast their ballots, including at Ward 4, Unit 3.
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