Ahead of the June 20, 2026 governorship election in Ekiti State, 13 political parties on Thursday signed a peace accord, pledging to ensure a peaceful, credible and violence-free electoral process.
Among the signatories was Ekiti State Governor and candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Biodun Oyebanji, who reaffirmed the commitment of political stakeholders and residents to sustaining peace before, during and after the election.
Speaking at the event, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Joash Amupitan, urged political actors to go beyond merely signing the agreement by demonstrating genuine commitment to peaceful conduct throughout the exercise.
Amupitan said Ekiti had built a strong reputation for political maturity and peaceful elections, stressing that all stakeholders must work collectively to preserve the state’s democratic culture.
He commended the National Peace Committee for its continued efforts toward promoting electoral stability and reducing political tension across the country.
According to him, INEC had continued to strengthen the peace accord framework in off-cycle governorship elections following its successful implementation in previous elections, including the Anambra governorship poll held in November 2025.
The INEC chairman disclosed that no fewer than 1,059,360 registered voters are expected to participate in the election across the state’s 16 local government areas, 177 registration areas and 2,445 polling units.
He added that the commission would deploy 52,446 National Youth Service Corps members for upcoming governorship and bye-elections in several states, including Ekiti.
Amupitan also revealed that INEC had improved its logistics, technology and result management systems to guarantee a transparent and credible process, while warning against vote-buying, voter intimidation and political violence.
According to him, 54 media organisations and 470 journalists have applied for accreditation to cover the election, while 96 domestic observer groups and two international observer groups have also been accredited.
Representing the Chairman of the National Peace Committee and former Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar, retired General Martin Agwai described the accord as a collective commitment to free, fair and peaceful elections.
He urged political parties and their supporters to reject violence, hate speech and all forms of electoral malpractice, warning that no political ambition should be pursued at the expense of human lives and public peace.
Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, said the accord underscored the need for elections to remain a contest of ideas rather than conflict.
Disu assured residents that security agencies working under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security had made adequate arrangements to secure all polling units and ensure a peaceful election.
He added that security personnel would remain professional, impartial and committed to protecting democratic values throughout the electoral process.
