INEC, police assure of peaceful Ekiti poll

Over one million eligible voters in Ekiti State are expected to elect a new governor today, in an election that will be decided across 2,445 polling units in the state’s 16 local government areas.

According to Weekend Trust, the state has 1,059,360 registered voters, but only 1,028,929 who collected their Permanent Voter Cards are expected to participate in the poll, as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission. Fifteen political parties have fielded candidates, though observers say the contest will likely be dominated by four major parties: the All Progressives Congress, the Peoples Democratic Party, the African Democratic Congress and the Accord Party.

Governor Biodun Oyebanji is seeking re-election on the platform of the APC, while Dr Wole Oluyede is the PDP’s candidate. Amb Dare Bejide is contesting under the ADC, and David Opeyemi Falegan is the Accord Party’s candidate.

INEC and the Nigeria Police Force have assured residents of adequate arrangements for a peaceful, credible and transparent exercise. Electoral materials have been deployed to all 16 local government areas, with security operatives escorting and safeguarding them to polling units. Security agencies have also intensified their presence across the state, particularly in strategic locations and boundary communities, to forestall any breach of peace.

The atmosphere across Ekiti remained calm on the eve of the election, with voters expressing readiness to participate. In Ado-Ekiti, civil society organisations under the EU-SDGN Election Observation Hub called on INEC to ensure timely distribution of sensitive materials so that polling units can open by 8:00am, alongside proper configuration and testing of BVAS machines to avoid technical disruptions.

The group, led by Dr Akin Akingbulu, Lanre Arogundade, Samson Itodo and other stakeholders, urged political parties and candidates to adhere strictly to the peace accord and accept the outcome of the election only through lawful channels. They also called for an end to vote buying, intimidation and the use of political thugs, urging security agencies to remain neutral and professional throughout the process, and journalists to verify information before publication to curb misinformation. Voters were further encouraged to turn out en masse and arrive early at polling units.

The commissioner of police in charge of election planning, monitoring and evaluation, Abayomi Shogunle, said the police and other security agencies were fully prepared for the exercise. He explained that a multi-layered security framework approved by Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu had been activated, with personnel deployed to border communities linking Ekiti with Osun and Ondo states to prevent infiltration by criminal elements. Shogunle warned against any attempt to disrupt the process, adding that security agencies would act strictly within the provisions of the constitution and the Electoral Act 2026.