The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured political parties, voters and other stakeholders in Ekiti State that it is fully prepared to conduct a credible, transparent and inclusive governorship election on Saturday, June 20, 2026.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), gave the assurance on Thursday during the Stakeholders’ Forum on the Ekiti State Governorship Election in Ado-Ekiti, saying the Commission had completed the major preparatory arrangements required for the poll.
“Every valid vote will count,” Amupitan said as he addressed representatives of political parties, security agencies, traditional rulers, civil society organisations, the media and other stakeholders.
According to him, 1,059,360 registered voters are expected to participate across Ekiti’s 16 Local Government Areas, 117 Registration Areas (wards) and 2,445 polling units. The figure includes 66,664 new registrants captured during the Continuous Voter Registration exercise, while 2,103 invalid registrations were removed through the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS).
Amupitan said logistics arrangements were at an advanced stage, with plans to ensure that all polling units are activated simultaneously by 8:30 a.m. on election day. Election materials, he said, were ready, ad hoc personnel had been trained, and deployment plans were being implemented in line with the Commission’s timetable.
The INEC chairman reiterated that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) would be used for voter accreditation and that polling unit results would be uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) to strengthen transparency and public confidence in the process.
He also highlighted measures aimed at making the election more inclusive, including the deployment of Braille ballot guides and magnifying glasses for voters with visual impairments and persons with albinism.
On security, Amupitan said INEC was working closely with the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) and other relevant agencies to maintain a peaceful environment before, during and after the poll. He added that the Commission was collaborating with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to combat vote-buying and other electoral offences.
The chairman disclosed that INEC had accredited 91 media organisations with 675 journalists for election coverage, as well as 98 observer groups comprising 96 domestic and two international organisations.
He further noted that, in addition to the Ekiti governorship election, the Commission would conduct six legislative bye-elections in Enugu, Nasarawa, Rivers, Ondo, Kano and Kebbi states on the same day.
The election is being closely watched as a key test of INEC’s deployment of BVAS, IReV and other reforms designed to improve transparency, voter confidence and the integrity of the electoral process.
