Ekiti 2026: PDP Candidate Laments BVAS Failure, Alleges Harassment of Supporters

The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Ekiti State governorship election, Dr Wole Oluyede, has expressed dissatisfaction with the performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), describing the electoral process at his polling unit as slow and frustrating.

Oluyede spoke on Saturday after casting his vote at Unit 6, Ward 3, Osagburu Family Hall, where he said technical issues with the BVAS device delayed voter accreditation and disrupted the voting process.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), only six voters had been successfully accredited and allowed to vote several hours after polling commenced at the unit.

INEC officials were observed making efforts to resolve the technical challenges and restore normal operations at the polling station.

Speaking with journalists after voting, the PDP candidate said the malfunctioning of the BVAS device had become a recurring issue at his polling unit and called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to improve the reliability of its electoral technology.

“I am not happy with the current electoral process; this is not the first time that the machine is being faulty at my polling unit,” Oluyede said.

He stressed that the credibility of elections depends on efficient voter accreditation and urged the electoral commission to take steps to prevent similar incidents in future elections.

Oluyede also accused security agencies of allegedly intimidating and harassing some of his supporters at various polling units across the state.

The PDP candidate described the reported incidents as undemocratic and inconsistent with the principles of a free and fair election.

“Some of my followers are being harassed at the polling units by security agencies and no media is reporting the incident,” he alleged.

He said he would formally report the alleged irregularities and challenges encountered during the election to the appropriate authorities for investigation and action.

Despite the challenges, Oluyede confirmed that he was eventually able to cast his vote and expressed hope that the process would improve as voting continued across the state.

“I have cast my vote but I will still wait to ensure that all my supporters also cast their votes,” he added.

The Ekiti governorship election is being closely monitored by political parties, observers and security agencies as voters decide who will govern the state for the next four years.