Civil society organisations under the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria Phase Two (EU-SDGN II) programme have expressed concern over the level of preparedness by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the 20 June 2026 Ekiti State governorship election, warning that serious operational and structural gaps could threaten the credibility of the exercise.
The concerns were contained in a Pre-Election Assessment Report presented on Thursday during a media briefing at Abuja Continental Hotel by the Election Observation Hub, a coalition of civil society organisations working under the EU-SDGN II programme.
Presenting the report, the Executive Director of International Press Centre (IPC), Mr Lanre Arogundade on behalf of the the Election Observation Hub described the Ekiti governorship election as a major test case for Nigeria’s electoral system because it would be the first governorship poll to be conducted under the new Electoral Act 2026.
According to him, the election will test critical provisions of the law, including electronic transmission of results, administrative review mechanisms and new regulations expected from INEC ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The coalition warned that any shortcomings in the Ekiti election could create a damaging precedent for future elections, particularly the Osun governorship election and the 2027 nationwide polls.
The report noted that while the political atmosphere in Ekiti State has remained largely peaceful, the calm should not be mistaken for democratic strength.
It stated that the election is widely perceived as uncompetitive due to the advantage of incumbency, an apparent elite consensus around the incumbent governor, weak opposition structures and unequal access to political resources.
“A peaceful and non-competitive election is not automatically a democratic one,” the report stated.
The civil society groups identified INEC’s level of preparedness as one of the most urgent concerns.
According to the report, readiness across the 16 INEC Local Government offices in Ekiti State stood at only 34 per cent as of 14 April 2026.
Although some activities such as Continuous Voter Registration, BVAS inventory checks and stakeholder engagements have been completed or are ongoing, the organisations said the commission had yet to receive election funding while several offices, collation centres and operational vehicles require urgent rehabilitation.
The report disclosed that 32,475 new registrants from the Continuous Voter Registration exercise are currently being processed, while Permanent Voter Card collection has been scheduled for 21 to 25 May 2026.
The display of the voters register across all 2,445 polling units in the state commenced on 20 May.
However, the coalition warned that these activities do not compensate for the absence of core funding and infrastructure.
“With 36 days to polling day, a one-third preparedness rate is structurally incompatible with the conduct of a credible election on current trajectory,” the report stated.
The groups called on INEC to urgently release and effectively deploy election funds to complete outstanding preparations and conduct comprehensive testing of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
The report also identified several security concerns ahead of the election.
Ado-Ekiti was classified as a high-risk area for possible urban violence, while Ikole, Moba and Ilejemeje Local Government Areas were identified as vulnerable to kidnapping and other security threats.
The organisations further warned of risks associated with vote buying, political thuggery, misinformation, hate speech and possible militarisation of election security.
According to the report, the Nigeria Police Force has developed “Operation Order 08/2026,” which proposes the deployment of 9,780 police officers, 25 mobile police units, 200 patrol vehicles, 12 Armoured Personnel Carriers and three helicopters for election operations.
Despite the deployment plan, the coalition raised concerns over possible politicisation of security operations and excessive use of force.
On the media environment, the report acknowledged the presence of vibrant state-owned and private media organisations in Ekiti State but noted that journalists continue to face intimidation, legal harassment and economic pressures.
The report specifically criticised the N5 million campaign signage levy imposed by the Ekiti State Signage and Advertisement Agency, describing it as a major disadvantage to opposition parties.
The organisations also expressed concern over the exclusion of women, youths and persons with disabilities from the highest levels of political participation.
According to the report, none of the 13 political parties contesting the election fielded a female governorship candidate, while no candidate publicly identifies as a person with disability.
The coalition blamed the situation on high nomination fees, entrenched patronage systems and political gatekeeping.
The report urged political parties and candidates to commit to issue-based campaigns, reject vote buying and violence, and sign the Peace Accord ahead of the election.
It also called on traditional rulers, religious leaders, civil society organisations and the media to intensify voter education, fact-checking efforts and peace messaging.
The Election Observation Hub stressed that the credibility of the election would depend not only on the absence of violence but also on transparency, inclusiveness and public acceptance of the outcome.
The report was signed on behalf of the coalition by the Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO), ElectHER, International Press Centre, Nigerian Women Trust Fund, TAF Africa, The Kukah Centre and Yiaga Africa.
