The governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the 2026 Ekiti State election, Dare Bejide, has formally rejected the outcome announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Speaking to journalists in Ado-Ekiti on Sunday, Bejide characterized the electoral process as fundamentally flawed and lacking in integrity.
Bejide described the atmosphere on election day as tense, comparing some polling units to war zones. He claimed that the ruling party engaged in widespread vote buying, using both cash and food items to influence voters. According to the ADC candidate, this behavior indicated a lack of confidence in the government’s performance record.
“I reject the result in its entirety because the election was not credible,” Bejide asserted. He noted that even his own polling unit experienced an intimidating environment. He further alleged that political appointees and a sitting senator brought thugs and security personnel to disrupt the process.
The ADC candidate accused the ruling party of spending enormous sums of money at polling units. “Bags of money were brought to polling units,” he said, adding that such actions would have been unnecessary if the government had performed well. Bejide described the election as a sad day for democracy in Nigeria.
Bejide stated that he had not yet personally reviewed the full results but had seen reports on social media. His team is currently collating results from polling units across the state. After analyzing the data, the party will decide on the next steps. In the meantime, he urged his supporters and all Ekiti residents to remain calm and peaceful.