2026 Ekiti Decides: Situation Room Urges Timely Deployment of Materials, Calls for Strict Compliance with Electoral Guidelines

By Opeyemi Akinyemi, Ekiti State

The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other relevant stakeholders to ensure the timely deployment of election materials to polling units across all 16 Local Government Areas of Ekiti State ahead of the governorship election.

The call was made by the Co-Convener of the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, Celestine Odo, during a press conference held in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital.

Presenting the group's preliminary statement on the Ekiti State Governorship Election, Odo emphasized the need for all electoral stakeholders to strictly comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act, as well as the guidelines and regulations issued by INEC for the conduct of the off-cycle election.

He particularly stressed the importance of adhering to procedures relating to the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the electronic transmission and verification of polling unit results through the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).

According to him, the Situation Room will deploy a comprehensive election observation mission across the 16 Local Government Areas of the state to independently assess the conduct of the election in line with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act, INEC regulations, and international standards for democratic elections.

"As part of its commitment to supporting electoral integrity and strengthening democratic governance, Situation Room will deploy a comprehensive election observation mission across the state," Odo stated.

He noted that the observation mission would also monitor the security environment and its impact on voter participation, stressing that citizens must be able to exercise their democratic rights without fear, intimidation, violence, or harassment.

Odo revealed that a pre-election assessment conducted by the CLEEN Foundation, one of Situation Room's partner organisations, identified Ado-Ekiti Local Government Area as the highest-risk location due to the concentration of political actors and election-related activities.

He added that concerns over political tensions and possible voter apathy were observed in Ikole Local Government Area, while voter intimidation was identified as a major concern in Moba Local Government Area.

According to him, insecurity and fears of violence spilling over from neighbouring Kogi State were highlighted as significant risks in Ilejemeje Local Government Area.

The Situation Room also identified Ikere-Ekiti and Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Areas as secondary flashpoints due to concerns over misinformation and political tensions.

In light of these concerns, Odo urged security agencies to remain professional, impartial, and fully committed to protecting voters, election officials, and electoral materials throughout the electoral process.

Speaking further, the Senior Programme Officer of CLEEN Foundation, Nnamdi Odo, disclosed that 88 per cent of residents surveyed in Ekiti State expect the governorship election to be peaceful, describing the finding as encouraging for all stakeholders involved in the electoral process.

He revealed that the organisation recently met with the Commissioner of Police in charge of the 2026 Ekiti State Governorship Election, who assured them that adequate security arrangements had been put in place to protect all stakeholders before, during, and after the poll.

Nnamdi Odo also encouraged eligible voters to participate actively in the election, noting that security agencies have assured residents of their safety throughout the electoral process.

He expressed optimism that with the cooperation of citizens, political actors, electoral officials, and security agencies, the election would be conducted peacefully and credibly.

End...