The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, has assured stakeholders in Ekiti State that every valid vote will count in the forthcoming governorship election scheduled for Saturday, June 20, 2026. Amupitan gave the assurance on Thursday during a stakeholders’ forum held in Ado-Ekiti, where he restated……
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, has assured stakeholders in Ekiti State that every valid vote will count in the forthcoming governorship election scheduled for Saturday, June 20, 2026.
Amupitan gave the assurance on Thursday during a stakeholders’ forum held in Ado-Ekiti, where he restated the Commission’s readiness to conduct a credible, transparent and inclusive election across the state.
He told political parties, security agencies, traditional rulers, civil society organisations, the media and other stakeholders that all necessary arrangements had been concluded to ensure a smooth electoral process.
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According to him, a total of 1,059,360 registered voters are expected to participate in the poll across Ekiti’s 16 local government areas, 117 registration areas (wards) and 2,445 polling units.
He explained that the figure includes 66,664 new registrants from the Continuous Voter Registration exercise, while 2,103 invalid registrations were removed using the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS).
The INEC chairman said logistics arrangements had reached an advanced stage, with plans to ensure simultaneous opening of all polling units by 8:30 a.m. on election day.
He added that election materials were ready, ad hoc staff had been trained, and deployment plans were already being implemented in line with the Commission’s timetable.
Amupitan also confirmed that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) would be deployed for voter accreditation, while results from polling units would be uploaded in real time to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) to enhance transparency.
To promote inclusivity, he said the Commission would deploy Braille ballot guides and magnifying glasses for voters with visual impairments and persons with albinism.
On security, he disclosed that INEC was working closely with the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) and other security agencies to ensure a peaceful environment before, during and after the election.
He also said anti-corruption agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, would be involved in efforts to curb vote-buying and other electoral offences.
Amupitan further revealed that 91 media organisations with 675 journalists had been accredited to cover the election, alongside 98 observer groups made up of 96 domestic and two international organisations.
He added that INEC would also conduct six legislative bye-elections in Enugu, Nasarawa, Rivers, Ondo, Kano and Kebbi states on the same day.
Stakeholders at the forum, including the Ekiti State Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Hon. Adeniji Akinropo Philip, commended INEC’s preparations and urged political actors to ensure a level playing field throughout the process.
The Commissioner of Police in Ekiti State, CP Michael Falade, assured residents of adequate security, urging citizens to remain law-abiding and cooperate with security agencies.
Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Ekiti State briefed stakeholders on the Commission’s preparedness, noting that non-sensitive materials had already been received while arrangements for the distribution of sensitive materials and final training of personnel were ongoing.
