Ekiti Decides: Police Fortify Security as Over 1 Million Voters Elect New Governor

The Ekiti State Governorship Election is set to take place on Saturday, June 20, 2026, with over one million eligible voters expected to participate. According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), while the state has a total of 1,059,360 registered voters, 1,028,929 individuals who have collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) are poised to decide the outcome. The election will be conducted across 2,445 polling units in the state’s 16 local government areas, with security deployments extended to cover 2,545 polling units as part of comprehensive arrangements.

Fifteen political parties have fielded candidates for the gubernatorial race. Observers anticipate the contest to be primarily dominated by candidates from major political parties, including the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), and Accord Party. Incumbent Governor Biodun Oyebanji is flying the APC flag, while Dr. Wole Oluyede represents the PDP. Amb. Dare Bejide is the ADC candidate, and David Opeyemi Falegan is contesting under the Accord Party.

Both INEC and the Nigeria Police Force have provided assurances of extensive arrangements to ensure a peaceful, credible, and transparent electoral exercise. Electoral materials, both sensitive and non-sensitive, have been deployed to all 16 local government areas, safeguarded by security operatives during transit to polling units. Security presence has been significantly beefed up across the state, particularly at strategic locations and boundary communities linking Ekiti with Osun and Ondo states, to prevent any breach of peace or infiltration by criminal elements.

Commissioner of Police in charge of Election Security, CP Shogule Abayomi, affirmed that a robust, multi-layered security framework, approved by Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu, has been activated. This framework ensures the strategic positioning of security personnel and operational assets across polling units, critical infrastructure, major entry/exit routes, and other key locations. Inspector-General Disu has also confirmed that all officers assigned to election duties have received thorough briefings on their responsibilities and rules of engagement, emphasizing professionalism, impartiality, and strict adherence to the law to guarantee a free and fair process.

On the eve of the election, the atmosphere across Ekiti State remained calm, with voters expressing their readiness to participate. Civil society organisations (CSOs) operating under the EU-SDGN Election Observation Hub, based in Ado-Ekiti, have issued critical recommendations. They urged INEC to ensure the timely distribution of sensitive materials, facilitate the opening of polling units by 8:00 am, and properly configure and test BVAS machines to prevent technical disruptions. The CSOs also appealed to political parties and candidates to strictly abide by the peace accord, accept election outcomes through lawful channels only, and refrain from vote buying, intimidation, and the use of political thugs. They further called upon security agencies to maintain neutrality and professionalism throughout the process and advised journalists to verify information rigorously to curb misinformation. Additionally, voters were encouraged to turn out en masse and arrive early at polling units to exercise their civic rights.

The Nigeria Police Force has issued stern warnings that electoral offenses and any actions aimed at undermining the election's integrity will be met with legal action in accordance with the Electoral Act and other relevant laws. Citizens are urged to remain peaceful, law-abiding, and committed to the democratic process. A dedicated election emergency line has been made operational to facilitate prompt responses to security concerns, and the public is cautioned against circulating unverified information. The Force reiterated its commitment to protecting lives and property, assuring Ekiti residents of adequate security for a free, fair, credible, and peaceful governorship election.