From Atiku Sarki, Abuja
As the Ekiti State Governorship Election is scheduled to hold on Saturday, 20 June 2026, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reaffirmed its operational, technological, and logistical readiness to conduct a free, fair, and credible election.
In a statement issued in Abuja, the Commission said its Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, personally led a final pre-election engagement with critical stakeholders in Ado-Ekiti on Thursday, 11 June 2026.
Prof. Amupitan addressed the Ekiti State Governorship Election Stakeholders’ Forum nine days before the poll, presenting a comprehensive readiness report and outlining the responsibilities of political parties, security agencies, the media, and civil society organisations in ensuring a credible electoral process.
The INEC Chairman disclosed that the Commission had finalised a clean and legally verified Register of Voters comprising 1,059,360 registered citizens, an increase from the 2023 figure of 987,647, following the successful registration of 66,664 new voters during Phases I and II of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
He added that the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) had invalidated 2,103 cases of double registration, further strengthening the integrity of the voters’ register.
These voters will cast their ballots across 16 Local Government Areas, 177 Registration Areas (Wards), and 2,445 Polling Units, with the Commission targeting the simultaneous opening of all polling units at 8:30 a.m. on Election Day.
On the Commission’s technological preparations, Prof. Amupitan confirmed that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) would be deployed across all 2,445 Polling Units as the sole instrument for voter authentication and accreditation.
He added that all polling unit results would be transmitted directly to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) for real-time public verification.
“No PVC, No Accreditation, and No Voting,” the Chairman stated. “There will be no bypasses, and there will be no exceptions.”
He further announced the deployment of assistive technologies, including Braille ballot guides and magnifying glasses for persons with albinism and persons living with disabilities, describing equitable electoral access as “a necessity, not an afterthought.”
Turning to the Commission’s security architecture, Prof. Amupitan disclosed that INEC, in collaboration with the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), had conducted detailed threat assessments across the state, identifying localised vulnerabilities such as political thuggery and ballot disruption in some areas. He said the EFCC and ICPC had been enlisted to help safeguard all 2,445 Polling Units against vote-buying and financial inducement.
“We shall defend the ballot box from physical violence and fiscal contamination alike,” he said.
Referring to the Peace Accord signed by all 13 contesting political parties on 21 May 2026, the Chairman commended party leaders for their demonstration of democratic maturity but warned that the commitment must be reflected in their conduct on election day.
“An accord is only as valuable as the good faith of its signatories,” Prof. Amupitan said. “The Peace Accord must not be treated as a mere ceremonial exercise. Its principles must be fully internalised and strictly observed by party officials, polling agents, and grassroots supporters.”
The INEC Chairman announced that the Commission had accredited 91 media organisations, deploying a total of 675 journalists from print, broadcast, and digital media, alongside 98 observer groups comprising 96 domestic and two international organisations to monitor the election across Ekiti State.
He urged journalists to report with accuracy, fairness, and professionalism, describing their role as constitutional rather than merely logistical.
“You are the bridge between the ballot box and the citizenry,” Prof. Amupitan said. “Resist the temptation of sensationalism, reject partisanship, and decline every invitation to become an instrument of electoral mischief.”
Addressing accredited observer groups, he urged them to operate strictly within Commission guidelines, maintain neutrality in both conduct and appearance, and present findings that accurately reflect the facts.
He also assured them of INEC’s full cooperation.
Prof. Amupitan further placed the Ekiti election within a broader national context, revealing that the Commission would simultaneously conduct legislative bye-elections on 20 June 2026 in six states, covering the Enugu North, Nasarawa North, Rivers South East, and Ondo South Senatorial Districts, the Dawakin Kudu/Warawa Federal Constituency in Kano State, and the Zuru State Constituency in Kebbi State.
“There is no dilution of institutional focus,” he assured stakeholders. “The same rigorous operational standards, technological safeguards, and security arrangements being deployed for the Ekiti Governorship Election will be applied uniformly across these bye-elections.”
The Resident Electoral Commissioner for Ekiti State, Dr. Bunmi Omoseyindemi, confirmed that preparations had reached an advanced stage. He said non-sensitive materials had already been received and were being managed in line with established procedures, while sensitive materials would be deployed the following week.
He added that the training of election personnel was ongoing and logistics arrangements were being finalised.
He noted that continuous engagement with security agencies, political parties, civil society organisations, traditional institutions, and the media remained a priority, adding that the Commission had earlier met with the Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers.
The Commissioner of Police, Ekiti State Command, CP Michael Falade, assured stakeholders that the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies were fully prepared and would remain professional and impartial in protecting voters, candidates, and electoral officials throughout the process.
The Ekiti State Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Hon. Adeniji Akinropo Philip, speaking on behalf of political parties, called for peaceful conduct and inclusiveness.
He urged parties to view themselves as members of one democratic community rather than rivals in a winner-takes-all contest. He also called on INEC to ensure a level playing field for all participating parties.
Earlier in the day, ahead of the Stakeholders’ Forum, Prof. Amupitan led a strategic consultative meeting with the Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers, where he presented the Commission’s readiness report and sought the support of traditional rulers in promoting peaceful electoral conduct across the state.
At the meeting, the Chairman disclosed findings from the Commission’s risk assessment, which identified several local government areas as security flashpoints. Ado-Ekiti, Effon, Ekiti South-West, Ikere, Irepodun/Ifelodun, and Oye were flagged as vulnerable to political thuggery, cultism, and attempts at ballot disruption. Emure, Ikole, Ilejemeje, and Moba were identified as requiring heightened vigilance due to security concerns, including kidnapping.
He revealed that 469 polling units had been identified within a critical 500-metre radius of these risk locations, with coordinated inter-agency deployments planned to provide adequate security coverage.
The Chairman urged the traditional rulers to use their influence to encourage candidates and political actors within their domains to respect the Peace Accord signed on 21 May 2026.
He also appealed to them to mobilise residents for PVC collection and early turnout at polling units by 8:30 a.m. on Election Day.
On the issue of vote-buying, Prof. Amupitan called on the traditional rulers to use their platforms to discourage the practice, which he described as a corruption of the democratic process.
“The Fountain of Knowledge must lead the nation in demonstrating that electoral choices cannot be purchased,” he told the royal fathers.
He assured the Council that INEC has no preferred candidate in the election, reiterating that the Commission’s only allegiance is to the Constitution, the Electoral Act, and the sovereign will of the people of Ekiti State.
