They urged INEC to ensure strict compliance with its guidelines on result management, including the prompt uploading of polling unit results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal, while also replacing malfunctioning BVAS machines where necessary.
The EU-SDGN Election Observation Hub has lauded the performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) during the 2026 Ekiti gubernatorial election, even as it flagged significant concerns regarding electoral malpractice.
According to the observers, the deployment of technology was a major success, with the BVAS recording a 96 per cent functionality rate across monitored polling units.
Despite the technological success, the hub highlighted several “red flag” incidents that threaten the credibility of the #EkitiDecides2026 process.
Recommendations for INEC
The observer coalition urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to uphold strict compliance with result management guidelines.
Their primary recommendations include:
Prompt Transparency: Ensure the immediate and accurate uploading of all polling unit results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
Equipment Integrity: Replace malfunctioning BVAS units immediately where necessary to prevent disenfranchisement.
Collaborative Responsibility: A call to action was issued to security agencies, political parties, and voters to play their respective roles responsibly to safeguard the integrity and peaceful conclusion of the electoral process.
(NAN)
