Yiaga Africa, a prominent election monitoring group, has officially endorsed the results of the 2026 Ekiti State governorship election as declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The group’s independent tally, conducted through its Process and Results Verification for Transparency (PRVT) methodology, confirmed that INEC’s announced outcomes matched votes counted at polling units across the state.
Speaking at a press conference in Ado-Ekiti on Sunday, Yiaga Africa commended INEC for notable improvements in election logistics, including the timely deployment of materials and personnel, smooth accreditation and voting processes, and a generally peaceful environment throughout the election day. However, the group did not shy away from highlighting several critical concerns that marred the exercise.
Among the most pressing issues identified were widespread vote buying, weak management of sensitive electoral materials, poor public communication regarding late administrative and judicial decisions, and discrepancies in voter turnout figures. Yiaga Africa noted that while the official turnout announced by INEC stood at 38.7%, their independent projection estimated a range between 34.1% and 38.2%. This gap, they suggested, may stem from INEC using the 2022 voter register instead of the updated 2026 register.
According to Yiaga’s statistical projections, the All Progressives Congress (APC) was estimated to secure between 83.9% and 87.1% of the votes, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) between 8.5% and 11.7%, and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) between 2.9% and 4.1%. All these figures fell within INEC’s announced results, reinforcing the accuracy of the election outcome.
Despite this validation, Yiaga Africa called on INEC to urgently clarify the turnout discrepancy and tighten quality control for sensitive materials ahead of future elections, particularly the 2027 general elections. The organization also urged security agencies to intensify efforts against vote buying and voter intimidation. Political parties were advised to better train their polling agents on electoral laws and guidelines, while the government was urged to regulate incumbency powers and the use of state resources to ensure a level playing field.
Concluding their statement, Yiaga Africa stressed that although election administration has seen improvements, the persistence of vote buying and management lapses poses a serious threat to the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process.