By Oluwagbemiga Toye
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), has declared the Commission’s neutrality, assuring Ekiti residents that every valid vote would count, urging all stakeholders to conduct themselves peacefully before, during and after the election
Speaking at the Ekiti Governorship Election Stakeholders’ Forum in Ado-Ekiti on Thursday, Amupitan said INEC had completed its logistical, technological and operational preparations for the poll.
He disclosed that 1,059,360 registered voters would participate in the election across 2,445 polling units, 117 wards and 16 local government areas. According to him, the figure includes 66,664 new registrants, while 2,103 cases of double registration were removed from the voter register through the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS).
The INEC chairman said the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) would be used for voter accreditation, stressing that only voters with valid Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) would be allowed to vote. He added that the polling unit results would be uploaded directly to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) to enhance transparency.
Amupitan also assured voters of adequate security, revealing that INEC was working closely with security agencies, the EFCC and ICPC to prevent electoral violence, vote-buying and other forms of malpractice. He urged political parties and their supporters to uphold the Peace Accord signed ahead of the election.
He further announced that 91 media organisations deploying 675 journalists and 98 observer groups had been accredited to monitor the election, describing the exercise as an important test ahead of the 2027 general elections.
On security, he said INEC had received assurances from the police, military, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, and Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC. He appealed to security agencies to remain professional and impartial while protecting voters, officials, and materials.
On his part, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ekiti, Dr. Bunmi Omoseyindemi, assured prompt deployment of materials. He urged voters to turn out peacefully.
Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, IPAC, in Ekiti, Mr. Adeniji Akinropo, urged political actors to embrace peace. Ekiti Commissioner of Police, Mr. Michael Falade, said security agencies had put adequate measures in place and warned against hate speech, vote-buying, violence, and voter intimidation