INEC ‘ll set election standard with Ekiti guber –Amupitan

… Promises to use it as litmus test for 2027 poll

From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, has promised to set standard with next month’s Ekiti State off-cycle governorship election.

Amupitan equally stated that the governorship poll would be a litmus test and a mirror for the 2027 general elections.

He spoke on Friday at a meeting of the Interagency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) in Ado Ekiti, warning against the spread of misinformation with the aim of creating panic before, during and after the elections.

The electoral umpire boss warned the security agencies to beware of those who might be out to frustrate the conduct of the elections, cautioning: “we must all make conscious efforts to ensure that this country works.”

Amupitan also said that steering the preparations for the upcoming off-cycle election represents a continuous commitment of the commission.

He assured that the commission would deliver a free, fair, and credible election that genuinely reflects the choices of the people of Ekiti State.

Amupitan said that following a series of comprehensive readiness assessments conducted across selected Local Government Areas of the state, the Commission is confident of its operational trajectory.

“We are currently configuring the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) to guarantee optimal performance on Election Day. Our ad-hoc staff recruitment via the INECPRES portal has also progressed systematically, ensuring that we are fully prepared for large-scale, professional deployment across all designated polling units.   

“To guarantee that no eligible citizen is left behind, the commission will soon deliver the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for the first and second phase CVR across the 177 Registration Areas (Wards) in Ekiti State.

“Our mandate is to conduct an inclusive and transparent election, and we are determined that no eligible voter should be disenfranchised due to administrative bottlenecks.

“I call upon all community leaders, civil society organisations, and political actors to actively assist us in mobilising the electorate to collect their cards at the designated centers before the conclusion of the exercise,” he said.

The electoral umpire boss also stressed that security agencies remain the bedrock of the commission’s field operations; adding that without a safe and secure environment, the complex logistics of an election cannot succeed.

“During our preliminary field assessments in Ekiti, security chiefs provided reassuring updates on comprehensive personnel deployments, visibility patrols, and the tactical mapping of potential flashpoints.

“Representatives of the Police, DSS, NSCDC, and the military have collectively guaranteed a robust security presence before, during, and after the election. Given the unique, hilly terrain of Ekiti State, seamless synergy among all security arms is non-negotiable.

“On our part, we have finalised land logistics arrangements with NARTO and NURTW to secure the required vehicle fleets for the timely movement of personnel and sensitive materials.

“We have also carried out a comprehensive risk analysis of all the LGAs in Ekiti State, including the Ras and we have identified and marked out some risk-prone areas. Such risk-prone LGAs include Ado Ekiti (thuggery/cultism/ballot snatching), Effon (thuggery), Ekiti East (vandalism), Ekiti South West (thuggery), Emure (kidnapping), Ikere (thuggery), Ikole (kidnapping/thuggery), Ilejemeje (kidnapping/thuggery), Irepodun/Ifelodun (cultism/ballot snatching), Moba (kidnapping/thuggery) and Oye (kidnapping/thuggery).

“We have also identified and tabulated for your guidance all the polling units (469 in number) within 500 meters of the risk location. We must build on our recent institutional benchmarks. The coordination during the November 2025 governorship election in Anambra State demonstrated that proactive planning and inter-agency collaboration significantly eliminated operational delays and ensured the early commencement of polls.

“The Ekiti election must aim for an even higher standard of administrative and security efficiency. I charge every officer and commander present today to ensure that the principles of absolute neutrality, vigilance, and promptness are maintained down to the smallest voting point.

“Let me also issue a stern warning regarding the menace of voter inducement. Any attempt to disrupt the level playing field through vote buying before or during the election must be aggressively resisted and neutralised.

“The Commission is working in close collaboration with anti-graft agencies, specifically the EFCC and ICPC, to apprehend offenders. Deployed security personnel must remain vigilant on the field and ensure they do not permit an environment where illegal financial transactions contaminate the voting process. Our joint duty is to protect the sanctity of the ballot box and defend democratic values,” he said.