The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially announced the final results for the Ekiti State governorship election, but the uploading of polling unit results to the Result Viewing Portal (IReV) remains incomplete. As of 4:00 am on Sunday, checks by PREMIUM TIMES showed that uploads to the portal had stalled at 2,379 of the state's 2,445 polling units, leaving 66 polling unit results yet to appear on the public viewing platform.
Collation Process Underway Amidst Technical Glitches
The development comes as the electoral commission began the statewide collation of results at its headquarters along Iyin Road, Ado-Ekiti. Collation officers, party agents, election observers, and security personnel had gathered for the final stage of the electoral process and the announcement of the winner. The state collation exercise was initially expected to commence at 10:00 pm, after the completion of local government collation. However, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Ekiti State, Bunmi Omoseyindemi, cited connectivity challenges affecting the transmission of some results to the IReV portal.
IReV Portal: A Transparency Tool
The IReV platform was introduced by INEC to enhance transparency by allowing members of the public, political parties, and election observers to view scanned copies of polling unit result sheets uploaded from across the country. While the commission has consistently maintained that physical result sheets remain the legally recognised basis for collation and declaration of election results, the portal has become an important transparency mechanism in recent election cycles.
Ekiti Governorship Election Details
Ekiti State's Saturday governorship election was conducted at 2,445 polling units across the state's 16 local government areas. The poll featured candidates from 14 political parties, including incumbent Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who is seeking a second term. Other prominent contenders include Wole Oluyede of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Oluwadare Bejide of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Oyebanji Olajuyin of the Labour Party (LP), and Opeyemi Falegan of the Accord Party.
Stakeholder Attention on Outstanding Results
The outstanding 66 polling unit results on IReV are expected to draw attention from stakeholders, particularly given the commission's commitment to transparency and public access to election results. According to the REC, connectivity issues were responsible for the delay, but the commission is working to resolve them.
