Yiaga Africa Urges INEC, Security Agencies to Arrest and Prosecute Vote Buyers in Ekiti Election

By Opeyemi Akinyemi, Ekiti

As preparations intensify for the 2026 Ekiti State Governorship Election, the civil society organisation, Yiaga Africa, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, and anti-corruption bodies to take decisive action against vote buying and electoral malpractice.

The Leader of the 2026 Ekiti Election Observation Mission, Dr. Aisha Abdullahi, made the call during a pre-election press conference held in Ado-Ekiti, ahead of the governorship election.

Dr. Abdullahi described the election as a crucial test for Nigeria's democratic institutions, noting that it comes barely seven months before the 2027 General Elections and just two months before the Osun State off-cycle governorship election.

According to her, the Ekiti election will serve as a critical assessment of INEC's operational readiness, the commitment of security agencies to electoral integrity, and the confidence of voters in the democratic process.

She disclosed that INEC has scheduled voting to take place across 2,445 polling units spread across the 16 Local Government Areas of Ekiti State. A total of 1,059,360 registered voters are expected to participate in the election, while the Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection rate currently stands at an impressive 97.1 percent.

The observation mission further noted that thirteen political parties have fielded candidates for the election. However, it expressed concern over the absence of female candidates and the lack of candidates publicly identified as persons living with disabilities.

"This raises serious concerns about the persistence of exclusion in political recruitment and candidate nomination, despite Nigeria's commitment to inclusive democratic participation," Dr. Abdullahi stated.

Yiaga Africa also emphasized the significance of the election as the first governorship poll to be conducted under the new Electoral Act 2026. The organisation noted that the election will provide an important opportunity to assess the implementation of key provisions of the law, including electronic transmission of results, administrative review procedures, and results collation mechanisms.

The group urged INEC to maintain transparency and professionalism in the deployment of election materials, activation of Registration Area Centres (RACs), voter accreditation through the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), and the transmission and management of election results.

Furthermore, Yiaga Africa called on security agencies to remain neutral, professional, and proactive in safeguarding voters, election officials, observers, journalists, party agents, and electoral materials throughout the electoral process.

The organisation also challenged political parties and candidates to publicly reject vote buying and other forms of electoral inducement. It encouraged voters to resist attempts to compromise their votes, stressing that the integrity of the electoral process depends on citizens making independent choices at the ballot box.

As Ekiti prepares to head to the polls, Yiaga Africa maintained that continuous voter education and public enlightenment on the dangers of vote trading remain essential to ensuring a free, fair, and credible election.

End.