By Law Ibitoye
The European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) Election Observation Hub has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure real-time electronic transmission of polling unit results and intensify efforts to prevent vote buying ahead of Saturday’s Ekiti State governorship election.
The group made the call while addressing accredited journalists, stressing the need for transparency, professionalism, and accountability among all electoral stakeholders to guarantee a credible, peaceful and inclusive election.
According to the observation hub, INEC should complete the timely deployment of sensitive election materials, ensure that all Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices are fully configured and functional, activate its election situation room, and announce results transparently at every stage of the collation process.
The organisation also urged security agencies to remain neutral and professional throughout the electoral process, warning against excessive militarisation that could intimidate voters and discourage participation.
It further advised security operatives to adopt intelligence-led operations to tackle vote buying, electoral violence and other electoral offences before, during and after the election.
The EU-SDGN Observation Hub called on political parties and candidates to abide by the peace accord they previously signed by rejecting vote buying, voter intimidation, fake news and the use of political thugs.
The media was equally urged to verify information before publication, avoid spreading misinformation and refrain from announcing election results from unofficial sources.
The group encouraged eligible voters to arrive at their polling units by 8:30 a.m., cast their votes according to their conscience and report incidents of violence, vote buying or other electoral malpractices to the appropriate authorities.
Describing the Ekiti governorship election as a critical test of Nigeria’s Electoral Act 2026 and a dress rehearsal for the 2027 general election, the organisation urged all stakeholders to work collectively to safeguard the integrity of the democratic process