By Jane Salihu
The Electoral Hub has urged all stakeholders in the 2026 Ekiti State Governorship Election to uphold the principles of transparency, accountability and peaceful participation, insisting that the outcome of the poll must reflect the freely expressed will of the people.
In a pre-election statement issued on Saturday ahead of the governorship election, the organisation called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, political parties, candidates, civil society organisations, the media and voters to collectively safeguard the integrity of the electoral process and strengthen Nigeria’s democratic credentials.
Describing the election as a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s democratic journey and ongoing electoral reforms, the Electoral Hub stressed that the poll presents a critical opportunity for Ekiti citizens to determine the future direction of governance in the state through a credible, transparent and peaceful process.
The organisation noted that the election would provide INEC with another opportunity to implement the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 and further test its Electronic Collation System (E-Collation), which utilises the electronic EC88A form for the collation and transmission of election results, ahead of the 2027 General Election.
According to the Electoral Hub, democratic competition must be based on ideas, policies and competence rather than misinformation, hate speech and personal attacks capable of undermining social cohesion.
While acknowledging improvements recorded over four electoral cycles in the country, the group expressed concerns over persistent challenges including vote buying, voter inducement, misinformation, declining voter turnout and the threat of electoral violence.
It also highlighted the continued underrepresentation of women, youths, persons with disabilities and minority groups in elective offices, calling on political parties to adopt deliberate policies and affirmative action measures to guarantee equitable participation in the democratic process.
The Electoral Hub urged INEC to ensure timely deployment of personnel and materials, effective operation of BVAS devices and prompt transmission of results in accordance with the Electoral Act 2026 and established guidelines.
It further called on political actors to focus on issue-based campaigns, while urging security agencies to remain professional, neutral and non-partisan in protecting voters, election officials, journalists and observers throughout the exercise.
The organisation emphasised that all electoral stakeholders must comply strictly with constitutional provisions, the Electoral Act 2026 and other relevant laws, warning against any actions capable of compromising the credibility of the election.
It also urged political parties and candidates to demonstrate democratic maturity by accepting credible outcomes or pursuing grievances through lawful channels rather than resorting to violence.
Calling on eligible voters to reject vote buying and participate peacefully in the electoral process, the Electoral Hub maintained that every valid vote must count and that election results should accurately reflect the choices made by the electorate.
“The future of Ekiti must be decided at the ballot box, freely, fairly, transparently and in the true spirit of democracy,” the statement said.
Signed by Princess Hamman-Obels, Director of the Initiative for Research, Innovation and Advocacy in Development (IRIAD)-The Electoral Hub, the statement reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to promoting electoral knowledge, accountability, inclusion and integrity, while advancing free, fair, peaceful and credible elections in Nigeria.
The Electoral Hub is an affiliate of the Initiative for Research, Innovation and Advocacy in Development (IRIAD), a policy and advocacy organisation dedicated to strengthening electoral governance and democratic accountability through research, innovation and citizen engagement.
