Election observation group Yiaga Africa has raised concerns over inconsistencies in materials used for the ongoing Ekiti State governorship election, warning that the issues could affect the credibility of voting and result collation processes.
In its preliminary observation report released on Saturday, the organisation said the discrepancies involved ballot papers, result sheets and the final list of candidates issued by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The report was jointly signed by Dr. Aisha Abdullahi, who chaired the 2026 Ekiti Election Observation Mission, and Samson Itodo.
According to Yiaga Africa, 96 per cent of its observers deployed across 250 randomly selected polling units had commenced monitoring by 8:30 a.m. However, the group reported inconsistencies in election documents, noting that Form EC8A result sheets contained spaces for 15 political parties, while ballot papers listed 19 parties. Meanwhile, INEC’s updated final list published on June 18 showed only 14 parties participating in the election.
The organisation linked the confusion to changes that occurred before the poll, including earlier candidate lists, court rulings and administrative adjustments affecting participating parties. It warned that mismatched election materials could complicate documentation, reconciliation and final collation of results.
Yiaga Africa urged INEC to immediately clarify the final list of participating parties and issue clear directives to presiding and collation officers to ensure result sheets are completed in line with electoral laws and court decisions. The group said timely guidance would help prevent confusion and protect the integrity of the electoral process.
