Ekiti Election 2026: BVAS Problems Disrupt Voting

The Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) had issues in many polling units across Ekiti State on Saturday. Voters and observers reported problems during the accreditation and voting process.

At 10:08 a.m., observers at Polling Unit 03, Ward 7, Okimi/Apadaba in Ilawe Local Government Area said the election started after fixing an earlier BVAS problem. Voting began as the device started working again.

At 10:11 a.m., voters at Polling Unit 12, Ejigbo Farm 1, Ward 11, in Oye Local Government Area complained that some eligible voters could not vote because the BVAS could not capture their faces. They also noted that there was no manual accreditation available.

At 10:15 a.m., observers at Polling Unit 001, Oke Agba Community School, Ekamarun Ward A, in Ijero Local Government Area reported that voting was happening, but the BVAS had stopped working again.

The Ekiti off-cycle election is organized by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). This election covers 177 wards in the 16 local government areas of Ekiti State.

Over one million voters are expected to take part in the election. Candidates from 14 political parties are contesting for positions.