THE Independent National Electoral Commission has raised concerns over vote buying, political thuggery, fake news, and other logistical challenges ahead of the Ekiti State governorship election scheduled for June 20, 2026.
According to a post obtained from INEC’s X handle on Friday, the concerns were highlighted during a readiness assessment meeting held in Ado-Ekiti involving electoral officials, security agencies operating under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, and other key stakeholders reviewing preparations for the poll.
News Point Nigeria reports that speaking during the meeting, the Ekiti State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Bunmi Omoseyindemi, disclosed that the commission had intensified efforts to strengthen the electoral process but warned that several risks still had the potential to undermine a credible election.
“Vote buying, political thuggery, fake news, transportation difficulties, and insecurity in hard-to-reach communities remain key threats to the electoral process,” he said.
Omoseyindemi explained that INEC had scaled up voter education campaigns, improved logistics planning, trained election personnel, and engaged political parties, traditional rulers, civil society organisations, and media stakeholders as part of efforts to enhance preparedness ahead of the election.
“We have strengthened voter education, logistics planning, training of election personnel, and engagements with stakeholders to guarantee a successful election,” he added.
The REC stressed that collaboration among electoral and security stakeholders would be crucial in addressing possible disruptions and sustaining public confidence in the electoral process.
Also speaking at the meeting, the Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, Falade Micheal, assured residents that security agencies were fully prepared to ensure a peaceful atmosphere before, during, and after the governorship election.
He emphasized the importance of intelligence sharing and inter-agency cooperation while warning against any conduct capable of undermining the electoral process.
“We are fully committed to maintaining law and order before, during, and after the election,” he said, adding that misinformation, violence, and electoral malpractice would not be tolerated.
The meeting concluded with a joint commitment by INEC and security agencies to strengthen coordination and ensure a credible, peaceful, and transparent governorship election in Ekiti State.
