Jane Salihu political parties participating in the June 20, 2026 governorship election in Ekiti State on Thursday signed a Peace Accord, pledging to ensure peaceful conduct before, during, and after the poll.
Among the signatories was the incumbent governor and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Biodun Oyebanji, who reaffirmed the commitment of political actors and residents of the state to sustaining peace throughout the electoral process.
The peace agreement was signed amid strong warnings from the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, who urged political parties to go beyond ceremonial endorsements and genuinely uphold the terms of the accord.
Amupitan said the agreement must not remain “a mere paper declaration,” stressing that Ekiti’s longstanding reputation for political maturity and peaceful elections should be preserved during the governorship contest.
He commended the National Peace Committee (NPC) for what he described as its consistent role in stabilising Nigeria’s democracy through dialogue and non-violence among political stakeholders.
According to him, INEC decided to extend the Peace Accord framework to off-cycle governorship elections after recognising that electoral tensions were not limited to nationwide polls. He noted that since the initiative was first adopted during the Edo governorship election in 2020, it had become an institutionalised part of governorship elections across several states.
The INEC chairman disclosed that 1,059,360 registered voters are eligible to participate in the Ekiti governorship election, which will be conducted across 16 Local Government Areas, 177 Registration Areas, and 2,445 polling units.
He added that the commission had already presented the Certified True Copy of the harmonised voters’ register to political parties and had intensified preparations to ensure seamless deployment of personnel and materials.
Amupitan further revealed that INEC would deploy a disciplined corps of 52,446 NYSC members for upcoming off-cycle elections in Ekiti and Osun states, as well as bye-elections in Nasarawa, Enugu, Rivers, Ondo, Kebbi, and Kano states.
He said 54 media organisations and 470 journalists had already applied for accreditation to cover the Ekiti election, while 96 domestic and two international observer groups had also been accredited.
The INEC chairman maintained that the commission remained committed only to a credible and lawful process, insisting that the character and conduct of political leaders would ultimately determine whether the election remained peaceful.
“It is not the signatures written today that preserve democracy; it is the character of the leaders who hold the pen,” he said, warning against incitement, voter intimidation, vote-buying, and political violence.
Amupitan assured residents that security arrangements had been strengthened through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), stressing that anyone attempting to undermine the integrity of the election would face the full weight of the law.
Also speaking, Chairman of the National Peace Committee and former Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar, represented by Gen. Martin Agwai, described the Peace Accord as a collective commitment to credible, free, and fair elections.
He said the accord symbolised the resolve of political parties and stakeholders to embrace issue-based campaigns, political tolerance, and respect for the rule of law while rejecting violence and hate speech.
Abubakar urged political actors to remember that no political ambition was worth the loss of lives or destruction of peace, noting that democracy could only flourish in a peaceful atmosphere.
Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, also assured residents of adequate security before, during, and after the election.
Disu said elections should remain a contest of ideas rather than conflict, adding that security agencies had already concluded comprehensive deployment plans across all local governments and polling units in the state.
According to him, police personnel had been adequately briefed to operate professionally, impartially, and within the law throughout the electoral process.
He appealed to political parties, candidates, and supporters to honour both the spirit and the letter of the Peace Accord, while encouraging residents of Ekiti State to participate peacefully in the election without fear or intimidation.
