DGGWI Hails Peaceful Conduct of Ekiti Governorship Election, Commends INEC and Security Agencies

 

The Democracy and Good Governance Watch Initiative (DGGWI) has congratulated the people of Ekiti State for the peaceful and orderly conduct of the gubernatorial election held on Saturday, June 20, 2026, while commending the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies for their roles in ensuring a successful exercise.

In a press statement jointly signed by the organization's Executive Directors, Nelson Ekujumi, Popoola Ajayi, and Gbenga Soloki, the civil society group praised the maturity displayed by voters across the state throughout the electoral process.

According to the statement, DGGWI observers deployed across the 16 local government areas of Ekiti State reported a generally peaceful atmosphere and orderly conduct by citizens at polling units.

The organization urged residents to sustain the peaceful disposition until the electoral process is fully concluded with the official announcement and declaration of results by INEC in accordance with the law.

DGGWI also commended INEC for the timely deployment of personnel and electoral materials, noting that polling activities commenced between 8:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. in approximately 98 percent of polling units across the state.

The group, however, acknowledged a few cases of malfunctioning Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines in some polling units, which delayed accreditation and voting. It noted with satisfaction that INEC responded promptly by replacing faulty devices and extending voting hours where necessary to compensate for the delays.

The organization further applauded security agencies for their efficient deployment, professionalism, and neutrality throughout the election.

According to DGGWI, the conduct of security personnel helped strengthen public confidence in the democratic process and contributed significantly to the peaceful atmosphere witnessed during the exercise.

The group also commended accredited media organizations and election observers for carrying out their responsibilities professionally and impartially.

However, DGGWI expressed concern over what it described as the lacklustre participation of opposition political parties in the election.

The organization lamented that although 13 opposition parties were officially on the ballot, their visibility before the election was largely unimpressive, with minimal campaign activities and a near-total absence of party agents at polling units on election day, except for a few representatives of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in some locations.

The group argued that the weak participation of opposition parties may have negatively impacted voter turnout and diminished the competitive nature of the election.

"This lacklustre participation by the opposition political parties effectively turned the 2026 Ekiti State governorship election into a one-horse race for the ruling party and the incumbent governor, Biodun Oyebanji, unlike the fierce political contests that characterized previous governorship elections in the state," the statement said.

As the collation process continues, DGGWI called on the people of Ekiti State to remain peaceful and law-abiding, urging all stakeholders to avoid actions capable of disrupting public peace and order.

The organization expressed optimism that the successful conduct of the election would further strengthen democracy and good governance in Ekiti State and Nigeria as a whole.