The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured stakeholders in Ekiti State of its total readiness to conduct a credible, transparent, and inclusive governorship election on Saturday, June 20, 2026.
The INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, gave this strong assurance on Thursday, June 11, 2026, during a critical Stakeholders’ Forum on the Ekiti State Governorship Election held in Ado-Ekiti. While addressing political parties, security agencies, traditional rulers, civil society organisations, and the media, the INEC boss emphasized that the commission has perfected all necessary arrangements to guarantee a seamless voting exercise.
“Every valid vote will count,” Prof. Amupitan reassured the stakeholders. “The Commission has put in place all necessary arrangements to ensure a successful election.”
Over 1 Million Voters to Decide Next Ekiti Governor
Providing a breakdown of the voter demographics, the INEC Chairman disclosed that a total of 1,059,360 registered voters are expected to participate in the upcoming election. The exercise will span across the state’s 16 Local Government Areas, 117 Registration Areas (Wards), and 2,445 Polling Units.
Prof. Amupitan further explained that the final voter figure includes 66,664 new registrants captured during the recent Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise. To protect the integrity of the register, the commission successfully identified and removed 2,103 invalid registrations through the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS).
Logistics, BVAS, and IReV Technological Deployment
The INEC chief noted that logistics arrangements are already at an advanced stage, with strategic plans executed to ensure the simultaneous activation of all Polling Units by 8:30 a.m. on Election Day. He confirmed that election materials are ready, ad-hoc personnel have completed their training, and deployment plans are moving strictly according to the Commission’s official timetable.
To ensure transparency and eliminate manipulation, Prof. Amupitan reiterated that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) will be strictly deployed for voter accreditation. Furthermore, all Polling Unit results will be uploaded directly to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) in real-time for public viewing.
In a bid to promote inclusivity, the Chairman highlighted specialized measures introduced for vulnerable voters. INEC will deploy Braille ballot guides and magnifying glasses to assist voters with visual impairments and persons living with albinism.
War Against Vote-Buying and Security Measures
On the critical issue of election security and integrity, the commission is working in lockstep with the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) to maintain a peaceful environment. Notably, INEC is actively collaborating with anti-graft agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), to aggressively curb vote-buying and other electoral offences.
To ensure robust monitoring, the commission has accredited 91 media organisations with 675 journalists, alongside 98 observer groups consisting of 96 domestic and two international organisations.
In addition to the Ekiti State Governorship poll, Prof. Amupitan announced that INEC will simultaneously conduct six legislative bye-elections in Enugu, Nasarawa, Rivers, Ondo, Kano, and Kebbi States on the exact same day.
Stakeholders and Security Agencies React
Lending support to the commission’s efforts, the Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Ekiti State, Hon. Adeniji Akinropo Philip, commended INEC for its thorough preparations and urged political actors to maintain a level playing field throughout the process.
Reassuring voters of their safety, the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, CP Michael Falade, guaranteed adequate security coverage before, during, and after the election. He urged residents to remain law-abiding and cooperate fully with security personnel.
Earlier in the forum, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Ekiti State confirmed that all non-sensitive materials had been received, while the final deployment of sensitive materials is underway. The forum concluded with all present stakeholders reaffirming their collective commitment to a peaceful, credible, and inclusive governorship election in Ekiti State.
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