By Gabriel Ameh
ABUJA – With just days to the June 20 governorship election in Ekiti State, civil society organisation Yiaga Africa has described the poll as a defining moment for Nigeria’s electoral process, warning that the election will serve as a major test of preparedness, transparency and public trust under the newly enacted Electoral Act 2026.
In a pre-election assessment released ahead of the exercise, the organisation said the Ekiti governorship election represents the first governorship contest to be conducted under the new legal framework and will provide an early indication of how effectively the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) can implement key reforms introduced by the Act.
According to Yiaga Africa, the election goes beyond the contest for political power in Ekiti State and carries national significance because it comes barely seven months before the 2027 General Election and only weeks before the Osun State off-cycle governorship election.
The organisation noted that the outcome of the exercise and the manner in which it is conducted will shape public confidence in electoral institutions and influence perceptions of Nigeria’s readiness for future elections.
INEC has disclosed that voting will take place across 2,445 polling units spread across the 16 local government areas of the state. A total of 1,059,360 registered voters are expected to participate in the election, while the commission reported a Permanent Voter Card collection rate of 97.1 percent.
Thirteen political parties have fielded candidates for the governorship race. However, Yiaga Africa expressed concern over the absence of female candidates and the lack of candidates publicly identified as persons with disabilities, describing the situation as evidence of continuing exclusion in Nigeria’s political recruitment and nomination processes.
One of the major innovations under the Electoral Act 2026 is the introduction of a primary results validation process through the electronic EC8A platform, known as e-EC8A. The system allows polling officials to directly input election results from hardcopy result sheets into the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
Yiaga Africa said the innovation has the potential to strengthen the integrity of result transmission by enabling comparisons between electronically submitted figures and scanned copies of polling unit result sheets uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
The organisation acknowledged efforts by INEC to prepare for the election through stakeholder engagements, training programmes for election officials, mock accreditation exercises and logistical planning despite delays in the release of election funding.
However, it stated that observations from the mock accreditation exercise revealed gaps in the implementation of some provisions of the Electoral Act and the commission’s election guidelines.
The group urged INEC to ensure timely deployment of personnel and election materials, effective activation of Registration Area Centres, proper use of BVAS technology and transparent transmission and management of election results.
On security, Yiaga Africa commended efforts by security agencies operating through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) but warned that concerns remain in some parts of the state.
It identified Ado-Ekiti, Ikole, Oye and Ikere local government areas as locations requiring close monitoring because of potential election-related risks.
The organisation also expressed concerns over the movement of election officials, observers, party agents and materials during result collation in areas such as Ilejemeje and Moba local government areas, citing recent kidnapping incidents that could undermine public confidence and affect movement after dark.
Yiaga Africa further identified vote buying as one of the most serious threats facing the election.
According to the organisation, worsening economic conditions may make vulnerable voters more susceptible to inducements from political actors seeking to influence voting outcomes.
It warned that widespread vote trading could compromise the free expression of voters’ choices and weaken confidence in the legitimacy of the election result.
The group also raised concerns about voter turnout, noting that although political awareness remains relatively high among citizens, particularly women, young people and persons with disabilities, a perception that the contest lacks competitiveness may discourage participation.
Yiaga Africa said the credibility of the election would ultimately depend on three key tests.
The first is the Preparedness Test, which focuses on INEC’s ability to efficiently deploy election personnel and materials, ensure functional technology and guarantee that election officials are adequately prepared to administer the poll.
The second is the Transparency Test, which examines how effectively the commission implements the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, including BVAS accreditation, electronic result validation through e-EC8A, prompt upload of results to IReV and transparent collation procedures.
The third is the Neutrality Test, which concerns the conduct of security agencies and their ability to provide protection without partisan interference, intimidation or excessive use of force.
“These three tests will determine whether the Ekiti election becomes a model for electoral integrity under the new Electoral Act or another missed opportunity to rebuild public trust ahead of the 2027 general election,” the organisation stated.
As part of its election observation efforts, Yiaga Africa announced the deployment of its Watching The Vote (WTV) methodology under the European Union-supported Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria programme.
The organisation said it would deploy observers across the state to independently assess election day processes and verify the integrity of the results management system.
Yiaga Africa called on INEC, security agencies and anti-corruption institutions to proactively identify, arrest and prosecute individuals involved in vote buying.
It also urged political parties and candidates to publicly reject vote trading while encouraging voters to resist inducement and safeguard the integrity of their votes.
The organisation further appealed to INEC, civil society groups, traditional rulers, religious leaders and the media to intensify voter education campaigns and encourage greater participation among women, youths, persons with disabilities and rural communities.
With the eyes of the nation fixed on Ekiti, the June 20 governorship election is shaping up to be more than a state contest. It is emerging as the first major test of Nigeria’s new electoral framework and a crucial indicator of the country’s readiness for the larger political battles that lie ahead in 2027.
