Ekiti guber: Stakeholders demand strict compliance with new electoral act

Key electoral stakeholders, civil society organisations, security agencies, media practitioners, legal professionals, youth groups, and political actors have called for strict compliance with the provisions of the 2026 Electoral Act ahead of the Ekiti State Governorship Election scheduled for Saturday.

The call was made during a Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue on Legal Compliance and Election Integrity organized by the New Generation Girls and Women Development Initiative (NIGAWD) in collaboration with the Youth-Led Electoral Reform Project (YERP Naija) in Ado-Ekiti.

Speaking at the event, the Executive Director of NIGAWD and Southwest Coordinator of YERP Naija, Abimbola Aladejare-Salako, said the Ekiti governorship election would serve as the first major test of Nigeria’s newly enacted Electoral Act, signed into law in February 2026.

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According to her, the dialogue was convened to assess stakeholders’ preparedness and ensure the implementation of critical reforms contained in the new law.

She noted that following widespread dissatisfaction among young people over the conduct of the 2023 General Elections, youth groups mobilised across the country to advocate for electoral reforms, many of which were eventually incorporated into the new legislation.

Among the reforms, she highlighted the compulsory electronic transmission of election results to the IReV portal and provisions aimed at reducing voter disenfranchisement through more accessible voter registration processes and the use of downloadable Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

“We want to ensure that the provisions of the new Electoral Act are implemented to the letter. This election presents an opportunity to test reforms that young people strongly advocated for, particularly electronic transmission of results and improved voter access,” she said.

Abimbola further emphasized the importance of collaboration among stakeholders, noting that representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), youth organizations, and political parties were present at the forum.

Also speaking, the Commissioner of Police, represented by the Police Public Relations Officer of the Ekiti State Command, SP Sunday Abutu, assured residents of adequate security before, during, and after the election.

He stated that the police, in collaboration with other security agencies, had finalized arrangements to ensure a peaceful electoral process.

“There is no cause for alarm. We are fully prepared to provide adequate security across the state. We have deployments from within and outside the command, and we will ensure the safety of voters, electoral officials, journalists, observers, and all residents,” he said.

While declining to disclose the number of personnel to be deployed, Abutu assured citizens that security arrangements were sufficient to guarantee a free, fair, credible, and peaceful election.

The Program Director of the National Democratic Institute (NDI), Bem Aga, commended the initiative and urged INEC to take full advantage of the innovations introduced by the Electoral Act and the Commission’s 2026 Election Guidelines.

He also encouraged young people across the state’s 16 local government areas to participate actively in the electoral process by voting for candidates of their choice.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ekiti State Council, Com. Kayode Babatuyi cautioned against the spread of misinformation and fake news during the election period.