Ahead of the June 20, 2026 governorship election in Ekiti State, 13 political parties participating in the poll on Thursday signed a peace accord, pledging to maintain peace before, during, and after the exercise.
Among the signatories was Ekiti State Governor and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Biodun Oyebanji, who reaffirmed the commitment of residents and political stakeholders in the state to sustaining peace throughout the electoral process.
Speaking at the event, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, urged political parties and their supporters to uphold the spirit of the agreement beyond merely appending signatures to the document.
According to him, Ekiti has earned a reputation for political awareness and peaceful conduct, adding that stakeholders must ensure the state maintains that image during the election.
Amupitan commended the National Peace Committee for its continued role in promoting democratic stability and reducing electoral tensions across the country.
He noted that after the successful implementation of the peace accord mechanism during the November 2025 Anambra governorship election, INEC was determined to replicate the model in Ekiti.
The INEC chairman explained that the commission had extended the peace accord initiative to off-cycle governorship elections since its introduction in Edo State in September 2020, noting that the framework had since become institutionalised across several states.
He disclosed that 1,059,360 registered voters would participate in the Ekiti governorship election, with deployment planned across the state’s 16 local government areas, 177 registration areas, and 2,445 polling units.
Amupitan further revealed that INEC was mobilising 52,446 National Youth Service Corps members for upcoming off-cycle governorship elections and bye-elections in states including Ekiti, Osun, Nasarawa, Enugu, Rivers, Ondo, Kebbi, and Kano.
He stated that the commission had strengthened logistics, technology, and result management systems to ensure a credible election, while warning against vote-buying, voter intimidation, and political violence.
The INEC chairman also said that 54 media organisations and 470 journalists had applied for accreditation to cover the election, while 96 domestic and two international observer groups had also been accredited.
He stressed that leadership attained through violence and incitement would amount to a hollow victory, urging political actors to educate their supporters on peaceful conduct throughout the election period.
Chairman of the National Peace Committee and former Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar, represented by Martin Agwai, described the peace accord as a collective commitment to credible, free, fair, and peaceful elections.
He urged political parties and supporters to reject violence, hate speech, and electoral misconduct, emphasising that no political ambition should come at the expense of human lives or public peace.
Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, said the peace accord underscored the need for elections to remain a contest of ideas rather than conflict.
The police chief assured residents that security agencies, working through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, had made adequate arrangements to guarantee safety across all polling units and ensure a peaceful, free, and credible election.
He added that security personnel would remain professional, impartial, and committed to protecting democratic values throughout the electoral process.