Ado-Ekiti, June 18, 2026 – Civil society organisation Yiaga Africa has urged electoral authorities and other stakeholders to uphold transparency, neutrality and professionalism during Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti State.
The appeal was contained in a pre-election assessment released on Thursday under the organisation’s Watching The Vote (WTV) election observation programme.
Yiaga Africa called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure the efficient deployment and operation of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), proper voter accreditation and prompt transmission and management of election results in accordance with electoral guidelines.
The group also charged security agencies to remain impartial while carrying out intelligence-driven operations before, during and after the poll. It stressed the importance of maintaining order throughout voting, vote counting, result transmission and collation processes.
According to the organisation, adequate protection must be provided for voters, election personnel, observers, party representatives and election materials to guarantee a peaceful and credible exercise.
Yiaga Africa further urged INEC, security operatives and anti-corruption agencies to take decisive action against vote buying and other electoral offences by identifying, apprehending and prosecuting offenders.
It also called on political parties and their candidates to openly reject inducement of voters and discourage supporters from engaging in activities capable of compromising the integrity of the election.
The organisation emphasised the importance of continuous voter sensitisation, particularly among women, young people, persons living with disabilities and other underrepresented groups.
It noted that broad-based voter awareness and participation remain critical to ensuring an inclusive, credible and democratic electoral process.