With two days to the June 20 governorship election in Ekiti State, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and civil society organisations have intensified preparations for what is expected to be a major off-cycle election ahead of the 2027 general polls.
INEC is scheduled to begin the distribution of sensitive election materials to the state’s 16 local government areas on Thursday, while the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has deployed 10,000 personnel and the Nigeria Police Force activated comprehensive security measures to safeguard the exercise.
The Court of Appeal has also constituted the Ekiti State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, while the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) confirmed the successful airlift of sensitive election materials to support the governorship election and other by-elections holding the same day.
Speaking on Wednesday, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ekiti, Dr. Bunmi Omoseyindemi, said INEC had concluded virtually all preparations for the election, adding that non-sensitive materials had already been distributed.
He said sensitive materials, including ballot papers, Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines and voter registers, would be moved to the local government areas ahead of Saturday’s poll.
To facilitate timely delivery, the Nigerian Air Force said it transported the materials from Abuja to designated airports in Enugu, Rivers and Kano states between June 15 and 16, following a request by INEC. The operation also supported senatorial and federal constituency by-elections in Enugu, Nasarawa, Rivers, Kano and Kebbi states.
Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, said the operation demonstrated the Air Force’s commitment to supporting democratic institutions, while Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, commended personnel involved in the mission.
On security, the Commissioner of Police for the election, Abayomi Shogunle, has assumed duty and commenced the implementation of election security protocols approved by the Inspector-General of Police.
The police said intelligence gathering had been intensified to identify and neutralise threats such as political violence, cult activities, thuggery and misinformation, while a central operational framework had been established to protect polling units, collation centres, voters, election officials, observers, journalists and other critical infrastructure.
Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Anthony Placid, also confirmed that police personnel had already been deployed across the state.
Complementing the police operation, the NSCDC announced the deployment of 10,000 officers drawn from several state commands, supported by elite tactical units, including the Special Weapons and Tactics Unit, Special Intelligence Squad and K9 Unit.
The Corps said the deployment was aimed at preventing electoral violence, protecting voters and election officials, and ensuring a peaceful and credible election.
Meanwhile, disability rights organisation TAF Africa said it would deploy 150 election observers and 25 sign language interpreters across the state to promote inclusive participation by persons with disabilities and monitor compliance with election guidelines.
Preparations for possible post-election disputes also gathered pace as the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, constituted the Ekiti State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, which will sit at the National Industrial Court premises in Ado Ekiti.
The governorship race, involving candidates from 13 political parties, is widely seen as a three-way contest between incumbent Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the APC, Dr. Wole Oluyede of the PDP and Dare Bejide of the ADC.
In a statewide broadcast, Oyebanji urged Ekiti residents to renew his mandate for another four years, saying his administration had fulfilled its campaign promises and laid a solid foundation for economic development. He also appealed to political parties, security agencies and election observers to ensure the election remains peaceful.
With logistics finalised, security personnel deployed and election observers mobilised, attention is now focused on Saturday’s poll, which political observers believe could shape political calculations ahead of the 2027 general election.
