The African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate in the June 21, 2026 Ekiti State election, Ambassador Dare Bejide, has rejected the outcome of the poll in its entirety, declaring it a “sad day for democracy.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared APC incumbent Governor Biodun Oyebanji the winner with 319,224 votes, defeating PDP’s Wole Oluyede (40,543 votes) and Bejide, who finished third with 12,872 votes.
Speaking in Ado-Ekiti on Sunday, Bejide alleged widespread vote-buying, thuggery, and electoral irregularities. He claimed political appointees and a serving senator deployed thugs alongside both genuine and fake police officers to polling units.
“Vote-buying was carried out openly. Bags of money were brought to polling units. Some places were almost like a war zone,” Bejide said, adding that security personnel failed to act on their complaints.
He challenged the ruling party’s claim of popularity, arguing that genuine performance would have made vote-buying unnecessary. “Money meant for roads, water and infrastructure was allegedly deployed to buy votes,” he said.
Bejide said his team is still collating polling unit results and reviewing alleged cases of over-voting and alterations. He urged supporters to remain calm while the party determines its next line of action. Civil society group Yiaga Africa, however, stated that INEC’s declared results are consistent with its independent verification estimates.
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