Even before the close of voting, Yiaga Africa has alleged inconsistencies in the ballot papers, result sheets, and the list of candidates published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the ongoing governorship elections in Ekiti.
The concerns were made in a statement signed by chair of the 2026 Ekiti election observation mission Yiaga Africa, Aisha Abdullahi and executive director, Yiaga Africa Samson Itodo.
“Specifically, the Form EC8A polling-unit result sheets provide spaces for 15 political parties; the ballot papers in circulation carry 19 parties; while INEC’s final list of candidates, as updated and available on the INEC website as of 18th June 2026, reflects 14 parties that fielded candidates,” the statement reads.
“Yiaga Africa recognizes the context. After INEC published its initial list of 12 candidates in January 2026, subsequent court rulings (notably on the PDP’s candidacy) and late administrative changes altered party and candidate participation.
“Some of those changes do not appear to have been fully and consistently reflected across all election materials. Also, the public may not have fully received information about these changes. These inconsistencies might create confusion during voting and collation.
“Where result sheets include parties that are not on the ballot, presiding officers may record zero votes for parties that voters did not see.
“Conversely, where voters cast ballots for parties not reflected on the result sheet, such actions could create uncertainty in recording, reconciliation, and collation.”
Yiaga Africa urged INEC to.openly clarify, without delay, the final list of parties and candidates, and explain any differences between the ballot papers, result sheets, and earlier announcements.
The election observation group told INEC to issue clear written instructions to presiding and collation officers on completing result sheets consistently with the law and relevant court judgments, including how to treat parties on the result sheet but not on the ballot and vice versa.
