🇳🇬NigeriaWest Africa
UK congratulates Ekiti State Governor Oyebanji on re-election, raises concerns over vote buying and BVAS glitches
via Punch Nigeria2 min read
The British High Commission in Abuja congratulated Ekiti State Governor Biodun Oyebanji on his re-election, following the June 20, 2026, governorship election. Governor Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress secured 319,224 votes, defeating Wole Oluyede of the Peoples Democratic Party, who received 40,533 votes, and Dare Bejide of the African Democratic Congress with 12,872 votes. While commending the peaceful conduct of the election by the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies, the High Commission raised several concerns. These included instances of vote trading and interference by party agents, technical glitches with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System that caused voting delays, and the inaccessibility of many polling units for persons with disabilities. The High Commission encouraged stakeholders to address these issues, particularly the inaccessibility of polling units and the technical problems with BVAS, to ensure more inclusive and credible elections in the future, including the upcoming Osun governorship election and the 2027 general elections. The United Kingdom reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Nigeria's democratic institutions and electoral processes.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by Punch Nigeria.
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