Ekiti Guber: NIGAWD Leads Multi-Stakeholder Push for Credible Polls Ahead of June 20 Election  

By Joseph Sunday 

Ado-Ekiti — Four days before the June 20, 2026 off-cycle governorship election in Ekiti State, the New Generation Girls and Women Development Initiative (NIGAWD) convened a Multi-Stakeholder Roundtable on Legal Compliance and Electoral Integrity in Ado-Ekiti on Tuesday, June 16.

NIGAWD, which serves as the South-West Secretariat of the Youth Electoral Reform Project (YERP-Naija), organized the roundtable to mobilize key stakeholders to hold the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Police, and other relevant authorities accountable for a peaceful and credible poll.

Participants insisted the election must fully comply with the 2026 Electoral Act and INEC’s regulations and guidelines. The meeting is part of NIGAWD and YERP-Naija’s wider advocacy campaign urging the National Assembly to pass the 2026 Electoral Act.

Broad Coalition in Attendance:

The roundtable drew representatives from youth-focused CSOs in Ekiti; INEC; the Nigeria Police Force; NSCDC; the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Ikere Branch; RTEAN; National Council of Women Societies (NCWS); Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ); National Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ); Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD); Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN); International Federation of Female Lawyers (FIDA); National Human Rights Commission (NHRC); National Orientation Agency (NOA); the African Democratic Congress; and the Young Progressive Party (YPP).

The event opened with welcome remarks from NIGAWD’s Executive Director, followed by goodwill messages from INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, represented by the Legal Officer; the Police PRO; the Ekiti NOA Director; the NBA Ikere Branch Chairman; the NHRC State Coordinator; the Ekiti NUJ Chairman; and the National Democratic Institute (NDI) Program Director.

Key Concerns and Resolutions:

Participants raised seven major concerns:

1. Credible elections are fundamental to a healthy democracy.  

2. Public trust in the electoral process is low due to dissatisfaction with recent elections. 

3. INEC, youth groups, security agencies, CSOs, and other stakeholders share responsibility for a credible, peaceful, and participatory poll. 

4. The 2026 Electoral Act and INEC guidelines give INEC an opportunity to deliver on its mandate. 

5. Vote buying remains a major threat to the election’s credibility. 

6. Voter turnout has declined over the years. 

7. Insecurity in Ekiti could worsen voter apathy on June 20. 

Participants resolved that INEC must remain non-partisan and deliver a credible election on June 20, as promised. 

They further resolved that:

• INEC should fully implement the 2026 Electoral Act and its guidelines, particularly the mandatory electronic transmission of results to the IReV portal for transparency. 

• INEC should operationalize downloadable PVCs ahead of the 2026 Osun gubernatorial election and 2027 general elections. 

This includes clarifying eligibility, creating a secure digital platform, assuring citizens of anti-forgery features, clarifying authentication at polling units, and running a nationwide voter education campaign. 

• Eligible youths and citizens across Ekiti’s 16 LGAs should vote en masse for candidates of their choice. 

• Voters, especially youths, must reject vote selling. 

• Police and security agencies must stay neutral and guarantee safety so voters can cast ballots without fear or intimidation. 

• INEC and security officials must not influence voters’ choices, particularly those of persons with disabilities, during accreditation and voting.