Just over one million registered voters in Ekiti State will cast ballots today to elect their next governor.
According to the Independent National Electoral Commission, the state has 1,059,360 registered voters on its rolls. Of these, 1,028,929 have collected their Permanent Voter Cards and are eligible to participate.
Voting will take place across 2,445 polling units spread throughout the state's 16 local government areas.
A total of 15 political parties fielded candidates for the election. However, observers say the major contenders will dominate proceedings.
Governor Biodun Oyebanji is running on the All Progressives Congress platform. The Peoples Democratic Party fielded Dr Wole Oluyede as its standard-bearer.
Amb Dare Bejide carries the African Democratic Congress flag. David Opeyemi Falegan is contesting under the Accord Party banner.
INEC and the Nigeria Police Force have pledged to maintain order and transparency throughout the exercise. Both agencies say they've made adequate preparations to ensure a smooth process.
Electoral materials—both sensitive and non-sensitive items—have been transported to all 16 local government areas. Security officers have been assigned to escort and protect these materials to individual polling stations.
Police and other security agents have significantly increased their presence across Ekiti. They've concentrated forces at strategic locations and border communities to prevent any violence.
On the eve of voting, the state remained peaceful and calm. Residents told reporters they're prepared to participate in the election.
Civil society organisations gathered in Ado-Ekiti to make demands on election officials. The EU-SDGN Election Observation Hub called for timely delivery of sensitive materials to polling units.
According to the group, INEC must ensure polling units open promptly at 8:00am. They also want proper setup and testing of BVAS machines to prevent technical problems.
Leaders of the observation group include Dr Akin Akingbulu, Lanre Arogundade, and Samson Itodo. These stakeholders urged political parties to respect the peace accord they signed.
Candidates should accept results only through legitimate channels, the group emphasized. Vote-buying, voter intimidation, and use of political thugs must stop immediately.
"Security agencies should maintain neutrality and professionalism at all times," they stated. The officers must protect the process and all election stakeholders without bias.
Journalists also received a directive from the organisations. They were told to verify facts before publishing to combat false information.
Voters were encouraged to turn out in large numbers today. The group urged people to arrive early at their assigned polling units.
Commissioner of Police Abayomi Shogunle said law enforcement is fully ready for the exercise. He noted that the Inspector-General approved a multi-layered security framework now in effect.
Officers have been stationed at communities bordering Osun and Ondo states. This deployment aims to stop criminals from entering and disrupting the election.
Shogunle warned against any interference with the voting process. Security personnel will strictly follow the constitution and the Electoral Act 2026, he added.
