The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, has assured stakeholders in Ekiti State of the commission’s readiness to conduct a credible, transparent and inclusive Governorship Election on Saturday, 20 June 2026.
The Chairman gave the assurance on Thursday, during the Stakeholders’ Forum on the Ekiti State Governorship Election held in Ado-Ekiti.
Addressing political parties, security agencies, traditional rulers, civil society organisations, the media and other stakeholders, Mr Amupitan said the commission had put in place all necessary arrangements to ensure a successful election.
He said a total of 1,059,360 registered voters would participate in the election across the State’s 16 Local Government Areas, 117 Registration Areas (Wards) and 2,445 Polling Units.
Mr Amupitan said the figure includes 66,664 new registrants captured during the Continuous Voter RegistrEFFCation exercise, while 2,103 invalid registrations were removed through the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS).
He stated that logistics arrangements for the election were at an advanced stage, with plans to ensure the simultaneous activation of all Polling Units by 8:30 a.m. on Election Day. He noted that election materials were ready, ad hoc personnel had been trained, and deployment plans were being implemented in line with the commission’s timetable.
Mr Amupitan reiterated that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) would be used for voter accreditation, while Polling Unit results would be uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) to enhance transparency in the electoral process.
He also highlighted measures introduced to promote inclusivity, including the deployment of Braille ballot guides and magnifying glasses to assist voters with visual impairments and persons with albinism.
On election security, he said the commission was working closely with the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) and other relevant agencies to ensure a peaceful electoral environment.
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He added that the Commission was collaborating with anti-corruption agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), to curb vote-buying and other electoral offences.
Speaking further, he said, the commission had accredited 91 media organisations with 675 journalists for election coverage, as well as 98 observer groups comprising 96 domestic and two international organisations.
Mr Amupitan also informed stakeholders that, in addition to the Ekiti Governorship Election, INEC would conduct six legislative bye-elections in Enugu, Nasarawa, Rivers, Ondo, Kano and Kebbi States on the same day.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Ekiti State Chapter, Adeniji Philip, commended INEC for its preparations and called on political actors to ensure a level playing field throughout the electoral process.
Also speaking, the Commissioner of Police, Ekiti State Command, Michael Falade, assured stakeholders of adequate security before, during and after the election, urging residents to remain law-abiding and cooperate with security agencies.
