Voting in Ekiti State’s June 20, 2026 governorship election stalled Saturday morning after BVAS machines malfunctioned in multiple polling units across Ekiti West Local Government Area.
At Polling Unit 016, Akingbade House, Okete, accreditation could not start hours after polls opened. The BVAS device failed to power on, leaving hundreds of registered voters waiting under the sun.
Polling Unit 018, Ward 11 along NTA Road recorded the same glitch. Voters who arrived early to beat the crowd were stuck in long queues while INEC officials attempted manual troubleshooting.
In Erijiyan, Polling Unit 004 also suffered BVAS failure. Eyewitnesses said frustration grew as the delay dragged on, with some voters threatening to leave if accreditation did not begin soon.
INEC had promised full BVAS deployment and electronic upload of results to IReV for the 1.02M voters across 2,445 polling units. As of press time, the commission had not issued a statement or sent backup devices to the affected units.
Meanwhile, security agencies warned that vote-buying, ballot snatching, and violence will attract immediate arrest. The Nigeria Police Force said it is monitoring all 16 LGAs to protect the integrity of the election.
If the BVAS issues persist, turnout in Ekiti West could drop, especially with the 6pm restriction on movement already in force.
