Etiki 2026: Violence, vote buying, intimidation mar governorship election

Violence, ballot buying and different irregularities tainted the Saturday’s governorship predetermination successful Ekiti State conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

DAILY POST reports that electorates successful astir 2,445 polling units successful the 16 section authorities areas of the authorities turned retired connected Saturday to elite their caller governor.

Ekiti has 1,059,360 registered voters, but lone 1,028,929 of them who collected Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, were eligible to enactment successful the canvass held successful the polling units dispersed crossed the 177 wards of the 16 section authorities areas successful the South-west state.

While the turnout for the predetermination successful which candidates of 14 parties jostled for the state’s apical occupation was awesome successful immoderate areas, it was precise debased successful respective different places.

Although 14 governmental parties participated successful the exercise, determination are 3 large contenders successful the governorship race.

While Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress, APC was seeking his re-election for a 2nd term, Dr Wole Oluyede of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and Ambassador Dare Bejide of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, sought to sack the incumbent governor.

INEC connected Sunday greeting declared Governor Biodun Oyebanji victor of the predetermination aft the APC garnered 319,2...