Election monitoring organisation, Yiaga Africa, has projected voter participation in the 2026 Ekiti State governorship election at between 34.0 per cent and 38.1 per cent.
The estimate, it stated, was generated through the group’s Process and Results Verification for Transparency (PRVT) methodology, which relies on observations from a scientifically selected sample of polling units across the state.
In a statement signed by Aisha Abdullahi, chair of the organisation’s Ekiti election observation mission, and Samson Itodo, executive director of Yiaga Africa, the group said the projection was based on reports received from between 246 and 250 polling units, representing approximately 98 per cent of its sampled locations.
To monitor the election, Yiaga Africa deployed 250 stationary observers and 22 mobile observers across all 16 local government areas of Ekiti State. The organisation also stationed observers at local government collation centres to track the results process.
According to the group, the deployment was designed to independently assess key stages of the election, including polling unit setup, voter accreditation, voting, counting and results management.
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“This deployment strategy enables Yiaga Africa to provide timely, independent, and evidence-based information on the election day process, commencing from the set-up, voter accreditation, voting, and counting, and to verify the official results for the 2026 Ekiti gubernatorial election as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),” the statement reads.
Yiaga Africa noted that its turnout projection would provide a benchmark for evaluating the accuracy of turnout figures eventually released by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The organisation said that if INEC’s official turnout falls within the estimated range, it would indicate that the commission’s figures accurately reflect participation across polling units.
Yiaga Africa added that it would publish its findings on the election outcome after INEC officially announces the final results.
The group also called on the electoral commission to maintain transparency throughout the collation process and strictly follow established procedures for announcing results.
First Daily reports that the Ekiti governorship election was held on Saturday, June 20, with Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) declare as the winner, polling a total of 319,224 votes.