Yiaga Africa has raised concerns over inconsistencies in election materials deployed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the ongoing Ekiti State governorship election. The observation group noted mismatches between ballot papers, result sheets, and the official list of candidates published by the Commission, warning that these discrepancies could cause confusion during voting and collation if not urgently clarified.
Material Discrepancies Identified
In a statement signed by Dr. Aisha Abdullahi, Chair of the 2026 Ekiti Election Observation Mission, and Samson Itodo, Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, the group pointed out that Form EC8A polling unit result sheets provided spaces for 15 political parties, while the ballot papers in circulation carried 19 parties. Furthermore, INEC’s final list of candidates, updated on its website as of June 18, 2026, reflected only 14 parties fielding candidates.
“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,” the statement read.
Observers Report High Presence
According to Yiaga Africa, 96% of its observers from 250 randomly sampled polling units were present by 8:30 am to monitor the election. The organisation acknowledged that changes in party participation had occurred since January 2026, following court rulings and administrative adjustments, but stressed that these changes were not consistently reflected across election materials.
Potential Impact on Voting and Collation
Yiaga Africa warned that these discrepancies could cause confusion during voting and collation. Where result sheets include parties not on the ballot, presiding officers may record zero votes for parties unseen by voters. Conversely, if voters cast ballots for parties missing from the result sheet, uncertainty could arise in recording, reconciliation, and collation.
Yiaga Africa’s Call to INEC
The organisation urged INEC to act swiftly by publicly clarifying the final list of parties and candidates, explaining differences between ballot papers, result sheets, and earlier announcements, and issuing clear written instructions to presiding and collation officers on how to complete result sheets in line with the law and relevant court judgments. Yiaga Africa emphasised that clarity and consistency are essential to maintaining public trust in the electoral process.
