Race to 2026: INEC Chairman Scrutinizes Ekiti Election Readiness

Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has significantly ramped up preparations for the upcoming Ekiti State Governorship Election. These strategic engagements, conducted on Friday, aim to ensure the successful and smooth conduct of the poll slated for Saturday, June 20, 2026.

The Chairman's activities included a high-level meeting with Electoral Officers (EOs) from all 16 Local Government Areas of Ekiti State. During this crucial meeting, Professor Amupitan conducted a thorough review of preparations across all LGAs, receiving detailed updates on personnel deployment, logistics arrangements, voter accreditation plans, security coordination, and the distribution of essential election materials. He underscored the critical importance of effective planning and seamless execution of election-day operations, urging Electoral Officers to promptly address and resolve any outstanding issues before the election.

Following the session with EOs, the INEC Chairman proceeded to inspect the ongoing Mock Accreditation Exercise. He visited selected polling units in Ado-Ekiti and Ise/Orun Local Government Areas. This mock exercise serves as a vital quality assurance process, designed to rigorously assess the performance and reliability of the election technology, particularly the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), in anticipation of Election Day. After observing the exercise, Professor Amupitan expressed his satisfaction with the BVAS's performance, highlighting that the exercise demonstrated INEC's robust preparedness to implement a smooth and efficient voter accreditation process.

In an interactive session with media executives held at the INEC State Office in Ado-Ekiti, the Chairman reassured the public of the Commission's full readiness to deliver a credible, transparent, and peaceful governorship election. He disclosed key statistics for Ekiti State, noting that it has a total of 1,059,360 registered voters. These voters are expected to cast their ballots across 2,445 polling units, which are distributed within 117 wards and the 16 Local Government Areas of the state. Professor Amupitan further confirmed that the training of ad hoc staff was nearing completion, and arrangements for the deployment of election materials had been finalized through collaboration with transport unions and security agencies. He also reiterated that lessons learned from the mock accreditation exercise had reaffirmed the reliability of the Commission's technological infrastructure and the comprehensive readiness of its election personnel.

Concluding his remarks, the INEC Chairman reaffirmed the Commission’s unwavering commitment to neutrality throughout the entire electoral process. He assured all stakeholders that the election outcome would genuinely reflect the wishes of the electorate. Professor Amupitan called upon media organizations to actively support the process through accurate, balanced, and responsible reporting, while simultaneously cautioning against the spread of misinformation and disinformation that could undermine public confidence in the election. He reiterated INEC’s firm determination to protect the integrity of the electoral process, emphasizing that every valid vote cast in the election would be counted and respected.