Ekiti Election: CSOs Raise Alarm Over Alleged Unpreparedness Of INEC

Civil society organisations(CSO) under the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria Phase Two programme have warned that the 20 June 2026 Ekiti State off-cycle governorship election faces serious structural vulnerabilities, citing a 34 percent preparedness rate at INEC state and local government offices just 36 days to polling day.

Presenting the Civil Society Media Briefing Pre-Election Assessment Report at the Abuja Continental Hotel on Thursday, the Executive Director of the International Press Centre, Lanre Arogundade, who read the main findings on behalf of the Election Observation Hub, noted that the report assesses the political economy of the election, INEC’s readiness, the media and information environment, participation of marginalised groups and election-related risks that could compromise the integrity, credibility and legitimacy of the process.

Arogundade said the Ekiti election matters because it will be the first governorship election conducted under the new Electoral Act 2026 and will test implementation of key provisions of the new Act and yet-to-be-issued INEC regulations and guidelines on electronic results transmission, administrative review of results and collation.

“Coming barely seven months before the 2027 General Election, it is a critical stress test of INEC’s operational readiness, the commitment of security agencies to electoral integrity and interest of voters to actively participate in the electoral process that many already perceive as a foregone conclusion,” he stated.

The organisations warned that failure in Ekiti will not remain confined to the state but will set a damaging precedent for the Osun State off-cycle governorship election and the general election.

On INEC preparedness, the CSOs described the situation as an operational emergency adding that while the Resident Electoral Commissioner and senior management of the INEC State Office are experienced, and activities like Continuous Voter Registration have been concluded with BVAS inventory checks, network mapping, RAC assessments and stakeholder engagement underway, the state of preparedness across the 16 INEC LGA offices stood at 34 percent as of 14 April 2026.

“The State Office is yet to receive election funding, and several State and LGA offices, operational vehicles and collation centres require urgent rehabilitation,” Arogundade said.

He added that 32,475 new registrants from the Continuous Voter Registration exercise are being processed, with PVC collection scheduled for 21-25 May 2026 and the display of the register of voters across all 2,445 polling units on 20 May 2026.

“With 36 days to polling day, a one-third preparedness rate is structurally incompatible with the conduct of a credible election on the current trajectory. Despite the concluded and ongoing activities by INEC state office, it is important to note that they do not compensate for the absence of core funding and infrastructure as at 14th April 2026,” he added.

The report also mapped a low-intensity but layered risk environment.

Arogundade said Ado-Ekiti is classified as high-risk for urban violence, while Ikole, Moba and Ilejemeje are high-risk for kidnapping exposure, with Efon, Ikere and Oye as medium-risk.

“ Principal threats include vote buying driven by economic hardship, the use of political thugs, the spread of disinformation and hate speech particularly via WhatsApp and local radio, possible militarisation of election security, and the possible reaction of the politically conscious Ekiti electorate to any perceived manipulation,” he noted.

On security, the CSOs noted that the Nigeria Police Force has developed Operation Order 08/2026 proposing the deployment of 9,780 conventional officers, 25 units of mobile policemen, 200 patrol vehicles, 12 Armoured Personnel Carriers and three helicopters, complemented by other security agencies, but the architecture is yet to be operationalised.

“Concerns persist, however, regarding the potential for politicisation, perceived bias and excessive use of force. As this election will be the first off-cycle governorship election under the new Inspector General of Police, we expect that issues relating to funding, welfare of police officers, and professional and non-partisan security deployment will be guaranteed for the elections,” Arogundade said.

Arogundade said the report found significant gaps for women, youths and persons with disabilities.

Despite the Ekiti State Political Offices (Gender Composition) Law 2022 and the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Law 2020, none of the 13 political parties fielded a female governorship candidate and no candidate publicly identifies as a person with disability.

Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Women Trust Fund, Brenda Anugwom, while presenting the Hub’s recommendations, urged for timely release of election funds, rehabilitation of state/LGA offices and collation centres, stress-testing of BVAS and IReV for credible results transmission, activation of ISANS, provision of protective materials, stronger voter education, and accessibility measures plus better gender and PWD data.

For security agencies, the Hub recommended neutral, intelligence-led implementation of Operation Order 08/2026 with focus on border LGAs Ikole, Moba and Ilejemeje, a rights-based approach to vote trading, and protection for voters, journalists, observers and materials.