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Opeyemi Akinyemi, Ado-Ekiti  The European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) Election Observation Hub, on Friday called for aggressive intelligence-led operations by security agencies to curb vote-trading ahead of the Saturday Ekiti State governorship election.  The Election Observation Hub further appealed to INEC in ensuring that all BVAS devices are properly configured, tested, charged and safe with contingency arrangements to deal with any technical challenges on election day to avoid disruption during accreditation  Speaking on behalf of the groups, the Project Manager of Kukah Centre, Barr Asabe Ndahi who spoke with newsmen at Afe Babalola Civic Centre, Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, said “Security agencies should adopt the use of aggressive intelligence-led operations to combat and mitigate the menace of vote trading.” She scored preparedness of security operatives very high, noting that, “overall atmosphere in the State in the run-up to the...

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...

By Opeyemi Akinyemi, Ekiti State The Commissioner of Police overseeing the 2026 Ekiti State Governorship Election, CP Abayomi Shogunle, has confirmed the successful delivery of both sensitive and non-sensitive election materials to all 16 Local Government Areas of the state ahead of Saturday's governorship poll. Speaking during a press conference at the Ekiti State Police Command Headquarters in Ado-Ekiti, CP Shogunle disclosed that police personnel escorted and monitored the movement of the election materials to ensure their safe arrival and security across the state. According to him, the deployment forms part of a comprehensive security arrangement approved by the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, aimed at maintaining law and order before, during, and after the election. The police commissioner noted that the operational order is designed to guarantee a peaceful electoral process through the deployment of adequate personnel and security resources to strategic locations...

The President of the Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE), Osun State Chapter, Dr. Nathaniel Ogungbangbe, has commended Heads of Local Government Administration (HLAs), directors, deputy directors, State Administrative Council (SAC), State Executive Council (SEC) and local government workers across the state for their steadfastness and commitment since the commencement of the struggle over the leadership of local government councils in Osun State. ‎ ‎Dr. Ogungbangbe, in a statement made available to journalists, praised the dedication and resilience demonstrated by local government officials and workers throughout the period of the crisis, noting that their support had contributed significantly to the stability of local government administration in the state. ‎ ‎The NULGE president also lauded the judiciary for upholding justice and delivering what he described as a clear and unambiguous judgment on the authentic political leadership of the local government councils in O...

By Opeyemi Akinyemi, Ekiti The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has approved a comprehensive operational order aimed at ensuring law and order and guaranteeing maximum security for the peaceful conduct of the forthcoming Ekiti State Governorship Election. The operational plan is designed to provide a safe and secure environment before, during, and after the election through the deployment of adequate personnel and security resources across the state. This was disclosed by the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Ekiti State 2026 Governorship Election, CP Abayomi Shogunle, while representing the Inspector-General of Police at a press briefing organised by the International Press Centre (IPC) in collaboration with the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) in Ado-Ekiti. Shogunle explained that the operational order is anchored on a multi-layered security framework carefully designed to address the peculiar security challenges of different commu...

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 di...

By Opeyemi Akinyemi, Ekiti With less than 48 hours to the 2026 Ekiti State Governorship Election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced the distribution of sensitive election materials to Electoral Officers across the state's 16 Local Government Areas. The exercise, which began on Thursday at the Central Bank of Nigeria branch along New Iyin Road in Ado-Ekiti, forms a critical part of the commission's final preparations to ensure a smooth, transparent, and credible electoral process ahead of Saturday's poll. The distribution process was witnessed by Electoral Officers, security personnel, election observers, civil society organizations, representatives of political parties, and other stakeholders to guarantee transparency and accountability throughout the exercise. Addressing journalists during the exercise, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Ekiti State, Dr. Bunmi Omosehinde, expressed confidence in the level of preparedness demonstrated b...