Ekiti Election Sees High Female Voter Turnout

The governorship election held on June 20 in Ekiti State saw a remarkable turnout of female voters, as reported by the Central Election Monitoring Group. The observer group noted that women emerged as a visible voting bloc, surpassing other demographic groups in participation.

This increase is attributed to sustained advocacy efforts aimed at addressing barriers to women's political participation and combating violence against women during elections. The election was conducted peacefully, with attention given to elderly persons, persons with disabilities, pregnant women, and nursing mothers at polling locations.

However, there were concerns regarding low youth turnout, linked to declining public confidence in electoral outcomes and economic realities. The observer group received 67 reports through a toll-free monitoring platform, including complaints about malfunctioning biometric voter accreditation machines and allegations of vote trading.

The group urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to review the biometric accreditation system, particularly for elderly voters, and called for stronger enforcement of electoral laws to address these issues.