Opposition parties criticize INEC over Ekiti governorship election and by-elections, citing vote-buying and irregularities

Opposition parties have criticized the conduct of Saturday's governorship election in Ekiti State and various by-elections, alleging widespread vote-buying, ballot irregularities, and administrative lapses by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC. While acknowledging logistical improvements and the generally peaceful nature of the polls, parties raised concerns about electoral transparency. Osa Director, National Publicity Secretary of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, noted the Ekiti election was violence-free but marred by vote-buying allegations and issues with voter card access, urging corrections before the 2027 General Elections. Rufus Aiyenigba, National Publicity Secretary of the Social Democratic Party SDP, also cited improved logistics but accused INEC of undermining confidence due to rampant vote-buying and the alleged exclusion of SDP party agents. The Labour Party expressed reservations about the Enugu North Senatorial District by-election, with National Publicity Secretary Ken Asogwa reporting both positive aspects, such as orderly conduct and satisfactory Bimodal Voter Accreditation System BVAS performance, and significant oversights, including the omission of the Labour Party's name from the ballot paper. Similar complaints arose in other by-elections, with Labaran Maku, Labour Party candidate in Nasarawa North Senatorial District, rejecting the outcome due to alleged irregularities and BVAS failures. Candidates in Rivers South-East Senatorial Dist