No fewer than 13 political parties and their candidates have signed a peace accord, pledging themselves and their supporters to nonviolence, issue-based campaigns, and respect for the rule of law as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced its readiness to conduct a free, fair, and credible governorship election in Ekiti State on Saturday, June 20, 2026.
The accord was signed on Wednesday, 21st May 2026, in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, under the auspices of the National Peace Committee (NPC), chaired by former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar, (rtd), who was represented at the event by retired General Martin Luther Agwai.
Speaking at the occasion, INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, charged all 13 contesting political parties to cascade the spirit of the peace accord down to their grassroots structures, warning that “leadership won at the expense of human life and public trust is a hollow victory.”
He disclosed that the commission had completed seven of the nine activities in its Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the election, with only the conclusion of public campaigns on 18th June and the opening of polls on 20th June remaining.
Prof. Amupitan further disclosed that the Commission’s deployment would cover 16 Local Government Areas, 177 Registration Areas, and 2,445 Polling Units, with 1,059,360 registered voters eligible to cast their ballots. The Certified True Copy of the harmonised Voters Register, he noted, was presented to the political parties the day before.
The INEC chairman also revealed that 52,446 NYSC members were being mobilised as ad-hoc staff to man polling units, not only for the Ekiti election but also for the upcoming Osun governorship election and a series of bye-elections in Nasarawa, Enugu, Rivers, Ondo, Kebbi, and Kano states.
“INEC does not look for a particular outcome; we are interested only in a lawful process,” he stated, adding that the Commission had refined its logistics, audited its technological frameworks, and strengthened result management pathways to eliminate systemic vulnerabilities.
Prof. Amupitan also disclosed that 54 media organisations and 470 accredited journalists had so far applied to cover the election, with the accreditation portal set to close on Sunday, 7th June 2026. A total of 98 observer groups — 96 domestic and 2 international, have also been accredited to monitor the election.
Delivering his address on behalf of General Abdulsalam Abubakar (rtd), General Martin Luther Agwai (rtd) called on all political actors to conduct themselves peacefully and responsibly, stressing that no political ambition was worth the loss of life or the destruction of communal peace. “Election will come and go, but the peace and unity of the state must remain,” he said.
Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Olatunji Rilwan Disu, assured stakeholders that the Nigerian Police Force, working through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), had made comprehensive security arrangements covering all local governments and over 2,400 polling units across the state.
“The Nigerian Police will remain professional, impartial, and fully committed to the protection of democratic values throughout the electoral process,” the IGP said, while encouraging voters to come out on Election Day and exercise their franchise without fear of intimidation.
The event brought together the Executive Governor of Ekiti State, the chairmen, candidates, and running mates of all 13 contesting political parties, traditional rulers, civil society representatives, the diplomatic corps, religious leaders, and members of the media.
