Ekiti 2026: BVAS glitches slowing voting process, says Ojudu

Former presidential aide and ex-lawmaker, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, has raised fresh concerns about the slow pace of accreditation and voting in the ongoing Ekiti State governorship election.

Ojudu attributed the delay to malfunctions with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System.

Speaking on Saturday after casting his vote at Polling Unit 009, Ward 8, Ereguru, Ado-Ekiti, Ojudu lamented that technical issues with the BVAS machine were delaying the electoral process despite the impressive voter turnout.

Ojudu, who commended residents for turning out early to participate in the election, said many voters had arrived at the polling unit as early as 8 a.m. but were forced to endure long waits due to difficulties during accreditation.

According to him, it took election officials nearly 30 minutes to capture his fingerprints and facial details before he was accredited to vote.

“The turnout is impressive, and the people have come out en masse to exercise their civic responsibility. They are peaceful and orderly, as expected. However, the process is cumbersome,” Ojudu said.

“Before my fingerprints and photograph could be captured, it took almost 30 minutes. If it takes 30 minutes to accredit one voter, then one begins to wonder how many hours it will take for 500 people to vote.”

He disclosed that, as of 8:59 a.m., he remained the only voter to have successfully voted at the polling unit, despite dozens of voters waiting patiently to be accredited.

Ojudu blamed the delay on what he described as persistent BVAS malfunctions, warning that prolonged technical hitches could discourage voters and undermine confidence in the electoral process.

“There is clearly a problem with the system. The BVAS is malfunctioning. I don’t know what is happening in other polling units, but I am reporting directly from my polling unit,” he said.

“We have been here since around 8 a.m., and as of now, I am the only person who has voted. This is not good enough.”

He urged officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission to swiftly address the technical issues to ensure that eligible voters are not disenfranchised.

As of the time of filing this report, accreditation and voting were still ongoing at the polling unit, while many voters remained in queues awaiting their turn to cast their ballots.

#EkitiDecides2026: We’re going to win with a wide margin, says Ekiti deputy gov

 The Ekiti State Deputy Governor and deputy governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Monisade Afuye, has commended the voters for their sense of patriotism with the way they trooped out en masse to exercise their civic responsibility in the ongoing governorship poll in the state.

In the same manner, Mrs Afuye applauded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies for what she described as impartiality, leading to peaceful conduct of the Ekiti governorship election across the state.

Afuye spoke after casting her ballot at Atiba/Aafin Ward 1, polling unit 003, at Ikere Ekiti, on Saturday.

Afuye, as the deputy governor, is seeking re-election on a joint ticket with her principal and sitting governor of the state, Biodun Oyebanji of the APC.

Expressing her feelings about the progress being made after voting at about 8.50am, Mrs Afuye said the turnout of voters is attesting to the fact that Nigeria’s democracy is fast maturing and developing.

Mrs Afuye appealed to political gladiators to play by the electoral rules set by INEC to keep the tempo of peace that accompanied the election from the start to the collation time.

“You can see for yourselves how people trooped out to participate in this election. Not only trooping out but being ready and anxious to participate in the voting. I am indeed impressed with this conduct of our voters.

“I am not using Ikere as the only area of focus now, we are getting the same information from some of our local governments and towns about how our voters are coming out in large numbers. I am happy about this. This shows that the rigorous campaigns that we did yield positive results.

“I have to commend the INEC as well and our security agencies. They really prepared for this election. You can see that nobody is being intimidated and I believe if we continue like this, this election may turn out being the best in Ekiti history.”

Asked to predict the outcome of the poll, Afuye said her boss, Biodun Oyebanji, has served Ekiti with every fiber in his body and is widely adjudged to have performed excellently well, exuding confidence that the APC candidate will triumph in the election.

“Governor Oyebanji is not only winning this election, it is going to be with a wide margin.”

Nigerian Army loses battalion commander

The Nigerian Army has been thrown into mourning following the untimely death of Lieutenant Colonel Emmanuel Gabriel Okoye, the Commanding Officer of 20 Model Battalion.

While social media accounts claim that Lt.-Col. Okoye was killed in a bandit attack, the Nigerian Army in a statement issued on Thursday, June 18, 2026, and signed by the Acting Assistant Director of Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Umar Muhammad, insisted that he died after a brief illness.

According to the Army, “Lt. Col. Okoye passed away on June 13, 2026, after a brief illness, contrary to claims that his death resulted from a bandit attack or any operational incident.”

News Express reports that Lt.-Col. Okoye’s death was first announced on June 14 via a statement signed by Lieutenant Umar Muhammad, Acting Assistant Director Army Public Relations, 6 Brigade Nigerian Army. Below is the text of the statement:

6 BRIGADE NIGERIAN ARMY MOURNS THE PASSING OF COMMANDING OFFICER, 20 MODEL BATTALION

The Headquarters, 6 Brigade Nigerian Army, regrets to announce the passing of Lieutenant Colonel Emmanuel Gabriel Okoye, the Commanding Officer of 20 Model Battalion, who died on 13 June 2026.

The Commander, 6 Brigade Nigerian Army, Brigadier General Chukwuemeka Michael Akaliro, officers, and soldiers of the Brigade convey their deepest condolences to the family of the late officer, the personnel of 20 Model Battalion, friends, and associates during this difficult time.

Lieutenant Colonel Emmanuel Gabriel Okoye served the Nigerian Army and the nation with unwavering dedication, professionalism, and courage. Throughout his distinguished military career, he demonstrated exemplary leadership and commitment to duty, making significant contributions to the operational effectiveness of 20 Model Battalion and the attainment of the Brigade’s security objectives.

His service to the nation, devotion to his troops, and steadfast commitment to the defence of Nigeria’s sovereignty will remain a source of inspiration to officers and soldiers across the Nigerian Army. His death is a great loss not only to his family and colleagues but also to the Nigerian Army.

While mourning this painful loss, Headquarters, 6 Brigade Nigerian Army, remains resolute in its constitutional mandate to safeguard lives and property, maintain peace and security, and defend the territorial integrity of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The prayers and thoughts of the officers and soldiers of 6 Brigade Nigerian Army are with the family of the deceased during this period of grief. May Almighty God grant his soul eternal rest and give his loved ones the strength to bear this irreparable loss.

UMAR MUHAMMAD

Lieutenant

Acting Assistant Director

Army Public Relations

6 Brigade Nigerian Army

14 June 2026

Abduction: Reps Minority Leader faults Tinubu’s failure to visit Oyo, calls for his resignation

The Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Frederick Agbedi, has faulted President Bola Tinubu’s failure to visit Oyo State in the wake of the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in the state.

Agbedi spoke when he featured as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today, asking Tinubu to resign if he is unable to secure the country.

“Yes, since he’s unable, he should quit,” the Bayelsa lawmaker said on Wednesday’s edition of the show when he was asked if the president should resign due to the rising rate of insecurity in Nigeria.

“Take, for example, Mr. President went to Jos. He went to Jos to sympathise with the people of Plateau State who suffered an insecurity attack. What did the president say? He said the Jos airport had no lights, so in the next 10 minutes, he was going to leave. He didn’t even go to see the people; he met the people at the Jos airport.

“Let me ask you, you said there was no light on the tarmac. Beautiful. Are you ready to lead your people? Let me tell you how many children are in captivity in Oyo State. The president was in Lagos. So, the president was in Lagos—did he go to Ibadan? He sent his NSA,” he said on the current affairs show.

Over 40 students and teachers were abducted in the state last month, sparking national outrage and protests.

Following the development, President Tinubu sent a high-powered delegation, including his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila; the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu; the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Tunji Disu; and others to the South-West state.

The president promised to ensure the release of the abductees, vowing that terrorism has no room in Nigeria.

More than one month after they were taken away, the abductees are still in captivity.

Several interest groups like the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), civil society organisations, and social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, better known as VDM, took to the streets in protest against the abduction. They asked the authorities to rescue the students and teachers.

Reacting to the abduction, the minority caucus of the lower chamber gave Tinubu six months to fix insecurity in Nigeria or quit. 

Oyo Assembly seeks establishment of joint security taskforce to tackle insecurity

To ensure implementation of its resolutions, the House directed its Committee on Security and Strategy to undertake an oversight visit to the affected roads and other security flashpoints in Oke-Ogun and Oriire Local Government Area.

The committee was also mandated to work with the Committees on Local Government, Chieftaincy Matters and State Honours, as well as Environment, Water Resources and Ecology, to engage relevant stakeholders, including the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, the Nigeria Police Force, Amotekun Corps and the affected local government councils.

Speaking during deliberations, the Chairman of the House Committee on Security and Strategy, Hon. Rahman Olorunpoto, advocated the creation of a Special Joint Security Taskforce dedicated to securing the Old Oyo National Park and adjoining communities.

According to him, the proposed task force should comprise personnel drawn from the Forest Agro Rangers, Amotekun Corps, the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Police, noting that the national park falls under the control of the Federal Government and requires a coordinated security response.

Also contributing, Hon. Babalola Abiodun, representing Ibadan North-East I State Constituency, stressed the need for additional measures to strengthen the state’s security architecture.

He commended Governor Makinde for his relentless efforts towards securing the release of teachers and pupils recently abducted in Oriire Local Government Area and urged the House Committee on Security and Strategy to explore practical frameworks for the proposed taskforce, including operational guidelines, training programmes and capacity-building initiatives.

Abiodun further urged the committee to engage relevant authorities and stakeholders to assess ongoing rescue efforts and determine areas where the proposed intervention could effectively complement existing security arrangements.