More than one million registered voters in Ekiti State are expected to participate in the state’s off-cycle governorship election, with voting taking place across the 16 Local Government Areas. The election, being conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), is widely regarded as a significant test of the Electoral Act 2026 and revised electoral guidelines ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The EU-SDGN Election Observation Hub disclosed this during a pre-election press briefing, describing the poll as a crucial assessment of the newly enacted Electoral Act 2026 and updated INEC regulations aimed at strengthening transparency, accountability and public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process.
According to the group, INEC recorded a 97.1 per cent Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection rate, with 1,028,929 of the state’s 1,059,360 registered voters collecting their cards and becoming eligible to vote across 2,445 polling units statewide.
The Hub noted that INEC had completed key preparations for the election, including the deployment of National Commissioners and Resident Electoral Commissioners, configuration of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices, and accreditation of 98 observer groups as well as 91 media organisations to monitor the process.
However, it expressed concern over the low turnout recorded during the recent mock accreditation exercise and the failure to test result transmission to the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV), warning that the shortcomings could undermine voter confidence and electoral transparency.
The Hub further highlighted a number of electoral flashpoints across the state, identifying Ado-Ekiti, Ikole, Moba and Ilejemeje Local Government Areas as areas requiring heightened security attention due to risks of violence, kidnapping and other security threats that could undermine the electoral process. It also warned against vote-buying, political intimidation and the spread of digital misinformation.
Consequently, the Hub called on political parties, security agencies, electoral officials, civil society organisations, the media and voters to play their respective roles in ensuring a peaceful, credible and transparent election. It also urged citizens to reject inducements, remain law-abiding and contribute to the success of the democratic process.
