A group of Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, has expressed concern over the level of preparedness by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, ahead of the June 20, 2026 governorship election in Ekiti State.
The CSOs warned that INEC’s operational readiness, and preparedness across the Commission’s 16 Local Government Area offices stood at only 34 per cent as of April 14, 2026.
The coalition disclosed this in Abuja on Thursday, during the presentation of its Pre-Election Assessment Report for the Ekiti off-cycle governorship poll to the media, warning that Ekiti election could face credibility challenges if urgent steps are not taken.
The organisations include the Election Observation Hub, Centre for Media and Society, CEMESO, ElectHER, International Press Centre, IPC, Nigerian Women Trust Fund, NWTF, TAF Africa, The Kukah Centre and Yiaga Africa with support from the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria Phase Two, EU-SDGN II, programme.
While presenting the report on behalf of the coalition, the Executive Director of the International Press Centre, IPC, Mr. Lanre Arogundade, said although the political atmosphere in the state remained largely peaceful, the calm should not be mistaken for democratic health.
“The pre-election environment in Ekiti State is generally calm. However, this calmness must not be misread as democratic health,” the report stated.
According to the CSOs, the election is already being perceived by many voters as non-competitive due to “the residual advantage of incumbency, an apparent elite consensus around the sitting governor, resource asymmetry between the ruling and opposition parties, and internal contradictions within opposition platforms.”
The report noted that despite ongoing activities such as Continuous Voter Registration, BVAS inventory checks, network mapping and stakeholder engagements, critical gaps remained unresolved.
“With 36 days to polling day, a one-third preparedness rate is structurally incompatible with the conduct of a credible election on current trajectory,” the report said.
The CSOs further disclosed that the INEC state office was yet to receive election funding, while several state and local government offices, operational vehicles and collation centres required urgent rehabilitation.
“Despite the concluded and ongoing activities by INEC state office, it is important to note that they do not compensate for the absence of core funding and infrastructure,” the coalition added.
The report identified Ado-Ekiti, Ikole, Moba and Ilejemeje as high-risk areas due to threats of urban violence and kidnapping exposure, while Efon, Ikere and Oye were classified as medium-risk LGAs.
It listed vote buying, political thuggery, disinformation, hate speech and possible militarisation of election security as key threats capable of undermining the poll.
On security deployment, the coalition acknowledged that the Nigeria Police Force had developed “Operation Order 08/2026,” proposing the deployment of 9,780 conventional officers, 25 mobile police units, 200 patrol vehicles, 12 Armoured Personnel Carriers and three helicopters.
The coalition however warned that concerns remained over “the potential for politicisation, perceived bias and excessive use of force.”
The group also criticised the exclusion of women and persons with disabilities from the governorship race, noting that none of the 13 political parties fielded a female candidate.
“High nomination fees, informal gatekeeping and entrenched patronage networks continue to constrict the participation of women, youths and PWDs at the highest levels of political competition,” the report said.
The CSOs further lamented what they described as a constrained media environment, citing the N5 million campaign signage levy imposed by the Ekiti State Signage and Advertisement Agency as a major obstacle for opposition parties.
“State-owned media are constrained by limited editorial independence, while private outlets face commercial pressures and licensing exposure,” the coalition noted.
Presenting the recommendations of the report, the Chief Executive Officer of Nigerian Women Trust Fund, NWTF, Brenda Anugwom, urged INEC to urgently release and effectively utilise election funds, stress-test the BVAS and IReV systems, as well as intensify voter education and improve accessibility measures for vulnerable groups.
The coalition also called on security agencies to ensure professionalism and neutrality during the election, while urging political parties to reject vote buying, violence and inflammatory rhetoric.
“The credibility of the election will be determined not by the absence of violence alone, but by the transparency, inclusiveness and public acceptance of the outcome,” the coalition stated.
The CSOs said the Ekiti election would serve as a major test case for the implementation of the new Electoral Act 2026 and a dress rehearsal for the 2027 General Election.
“Failure here will not remain confined to Ekiti State; it will set a damaging precedent for the Osun State off-cycle governorship election coming soon after and the general election,” the report warned.
