Abuja: Civil society organisations under the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria Phase Two (EU-SDGN II) programme have called upon political parties and candidates participating in the upcoming Ekiti governorship election to sign and uphold a peace accord. The request was made during a news conference in Abuja, where the organisations presented their pre-election assessment report for the June 20 Ekiti off-cycle governorship election.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the Executive Director of the Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF), Brenda Anugwom, underscored the importance of rejecting vote buying, intimidation, and the deployment of political thugs. She emphasized that parties and candidates should focus on issue-based campaigns and accept credible electoral outcomes. Anugwom also highlighted the significance of resolving internal disputes through lawful institutional and judicial channels, while avoiding inflammatory rhetoric that could escalate tension.
Anugwom noted that the Ekiti election is particularly notable as it will be the first governorship election conducted under the Electoral Act 2026. She urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure the timely release and effective utilization of election funds to complete pending pre-election activities. This includes the rehabilitation of state and local government area offices, as well as configuring and stress-testing the BVAS and the IReV to ensure seamless accreditation, transparent collation, and credible electronic transmission of results in accordance with the new act.
Security agencies were also called upon to maintain neutrality, professionalism, and intelligence-led deployment during the election. Anugwom expressed concern over the exclusion of women, youths, and persons with disabilities from the political process, noting that none of the 13 political parties had fielded a female governorship candidate despite existing gender inclusion laws in Ekiti.
Speaking on the pre-election assessment report, the Executive Director of the International Press Centre, Lamre Arogundade, reported that INEC’s preparedness across the 16 local government offices in Ekiti was only 34 percent as of April 14, 2026. He highlighted that the upcoming election would be the first governed by the new electoral act, thus testing the implementation of its key provisions.
Arogundade pointed out that the INEC office in Ekiti had yet to receive election funding, and several state and local government offices, operational vehicles, and collation centres required urgent rehabilitation. While voter registration, BVAS inventory checks, and stakeholder engagements were ongoing, delayed funding and poor infrastructure remained major concerns. He noted that despite a relatively peaceful atmosphere, the election was perceived as non-competitive due to the dominance of incumbency and an alleged elite consensus around the sitting governor.
He further classified Ado-Ekiti, Ikole, Moba, and Ilejemeje local government areas as high-risk areas due to concerns over urban violence and kidnapping exposure. Arogundade urged INEC to ensure timely release and effective utilization of election funds and to strengthen voter education to discourage vote trading.