Ekiti Race Heats Up: Political Heavyweights Rally Voters Amidst New Registration Surge
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) reports an increase in registered voters and collected PVCs for the June 20, 2026, Ekiti State governorship election. Concurrently, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) concluded its campaign, with leaders urging voters to elect their candidate, Ambassador Dare Bejide, to address state challenges.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced a significant increase in the number of registered voters and collected Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) in Ekiti State, ahead of the governorship election scheduled for Saturday, June 20, 2026. According to Mohammed Haruna, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, the state's registered voters rose from 987,647 in 2023 to 1,059,360 in 2026. Similarly, the number of collected PVCs increased from 958,052 in 2023, representing a 97 percent collection rate, to 1,028,929 in 2026, marking a 97.1 percent collection rate of registered voters. This announcement follows the successful conclusion of the PVC collection exercise.
The Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise in Ekiti State was suspended on Thursday, May 15, 2026, followed by a thorough clean-up of the voters’ register. The PVC collection exercise, initially set to end on June 11, 2026, was extended to June 14, 2026, after extensive consultations with various stakeholders in Ado-Ekiti. INEC also received 14,406 applications for replacement PVCs due to loss, damage, or defacement, as stipulated by Section 18(1) of the Electoral Act 2026. All these replacement PVCs were printed, and the majority have been collected. Haruna noted that the option for a downloadable copy of voter cards could not be implemented for this election because the necessary technological infrastructure is still under development. However, this feature is expected to be available for subsequent elections, including the Osun governorship election in August 2026 and the 2027 General Election. INEC expressed gratitude for the support from traditional rulers, community leaders, civil society organizations, political parties, and the media in mobilizing citizens for PVC collection and election preparation. A detailed breakdown of PVC collection by Local Government Area (LGA) has been made available on INEC’s website and social media platforms.
Meanwhile, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) concluded its grand finale campaign in Ado-Ekiti, with top party leaders rallying support for their governorship candidate, Ambassador Dare Bejide. The party's National Chairman, Senator David Mark, and National Secretary, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, led the hierarchy to the event. They called upon the people of Ekiti State to