YIAGA Africa has alleged discrepancies between the ballot papers, result sheets, and the list of candidates published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the ongoing governorship elections in Ekiti State.
In a statement sent to News Point Nigeria and signed by Dr. Aisha Abdullahi, Chair, 2026 Ekiti Election Observation Mission Yiaga Africa, and Samson Itodo, Executive Director, Yiaga Africa, the duo drew attention specifically to the Form EC8A polling unit result sheets, which provided spaces for 15 political parties, as against 19 parties carried by the ballot papers in circulation.
Yiaga noted that INEC’s final list of candidates, as updated and available on the INEC website as of 18th June 2026, reflected 14 parties that fielded candidates.
“Yiaga Africa is observing the Ekiti State governorship election, and our preliminary findings raise serious concerns about the consistency of the materials INEC has deployed.
“As of 8:30 am, 96% of the observers from our 250 randomly sampled polling units were at the polling unit to observe the election.
“Yiaga Africa recognizes the context. After INEC published its initial list of 12 candidates in January 2026, subsequent court rulings (notably on the PDP’s candidacy) and late administrative changes altered party and candidate participation.
“Some of those changes do not appear to have been fully and consistently reflected across all election materials.
“Also, the public may not have fully received information about these changes.
“These inconsistencies might create confusion during voting and collation. Where result sheets include parties that are not on the ballot, presiding officers may record zero votes for parties that voters did not see.
“Conversely, where voters cast ballots for parties not reflected on the result sheet, such actions could create uncertainty in recording, reconciliation, and collation.”
Yiaga Africa, therefore, called on INEC to: publicly clarify, without delay, the final list of parties and candidates, and explain any differences between the ballot papers, result sheets, and earlier announcements.
It also demanded that the Commission “Issue clear written instructions to presiding and collation officers on completing result sheets consistently with the law and relevant court judgments, including how to treat parties on the result sheet but not on the ballot and vice versa.”
