By Ayodele Abere
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reaffirmed its readiness for the June 20 Ekiti governorship election, saying logistics, training, and security arrangements are progressing as planned across the state.
Speaking at the inaugural Ekiti Decides Citizens’ Town Hall Meeting in Ado-Ekiti on Sunday, Resident Electoral Commissioner for Ekiti State Dr. Bunmi Omoseyindemi said the commission had completed assessments of Registration Area Centres, super RACs, collation centres, and polling units statewide.
“We are well prepared. I’m telling the Ekiti people that we are well prepared for this,” Omoseyindemi said. He added that recruitment and training of ad hoc staff were ongoing, and that attention had now shifted to securing sensitive materials and finalising election-day procedures.
The forum, organised by the Civil Society Network on Election Integrity and anchored by International Press Centre Executive Director Mr. Lanre Arogundade, also featured Ekiti State Commissioner of Police Michael Falade and Ms. Rachel Babalola of Women in Trustful. It was convened to update voters on election preparedness and security ahead of the poll.
Omoseyindemi put the number of registered voters in the state at 1,059,360. He said INEC was committed to delivering a peaceful, credible, inclusive, transparent, and acceptable election.
On voter access, he said the commission would deploy the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System to prevent multiple voting and ensure only registered cardholders could vote. Results would be scanned and transmitted electronically to the INEC Result Viewing Portal after collation at polling units, in line with the 2026 Electoral Act.
He urged residents to collect their Permanent Voter Cards, noting that many uncollected PVCs belonged to deceased persons or voters who had relocated or registered multiple times before biometric verification was introduced. He called on civil society groups to support efforts to update the voter register.
Omoseyindemi said most ad hoc staff would be recruited from the National Youth Service Corps and would undergo training and screening to minimise the risk of political interference. He also confirmed that funding for the election had been secured and was being released in tranches.
On security, CP Falade outlined a three-tier security arrangement around polling units to prevent disruption. He said police were working with internal and external partners to protect voters, officials, candidates, and election materials, and announced that over 10,000 officers would be deployed across the state.
Chairman of the Ekiti State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev. Emmanuel Aribasoye, urged residents to participate in the process, saying religious organisations were encouraging members to view voting as a civic duty.
“We encourage our members not only to vote but to exercise their civic roles. Gone are the days when Christians saw politics as a dirty game. Voting is your right; if you fail to vote, you fail to take part in deciding the next leader,” he said.
Representatives of the National Orientation Agency, civil society organisations, NGOs security agencies and royal fathers also attended the meeting.
Organisers said the town hall would be held regularly in the run-up to the election to promote transparency and voter engagement.
