The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has invalidated 2,103 double registrations from the Ekiti State voter register ahead of the June 20, 2026, governorship election, as part of its ongoing efforts to ensure electoral integrity. INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, announced this during the commission’s second quarterly consultative meeting with political party leaders in Abuja on Tuesday. The move underscores INEC’s commitment to transparency and accuracy in voter data management as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections.
The final voter register for the Ekiti governorship election now stands at 1,059,360. This number includes 66,664 new voters added during the first and second phases of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercises, bringing the total from the 2023 register of 987,647. Professor Amupitan emphasized that the removal of duplicate entries was a critical step in maintaining the credibility of the electoral process. “In line with our commitment to maintaining integrity of the register, 2,103 registrations identified as cases of double registration were invalidated,” he stated.
INEC has also confirmed that logistics, election technology deployment, staff training, and security arrangements for the Ekiti poll are progressing smoothly and on schedule. The commission is determined to open all 2,445 polling units across Ekiti’s 16 local government areas at 8:30 a.m. on election day. This synchronized start time is designed to ensure fairness and efficiency throughout the voting process.
Amupitan called on political parties to uphold the recently signed Peace Accord in Ekiti, urging party leaders, candidates, agents, and supporters to strictly adhere to its principles. He stressed that compliance is essential to preventing violence and ensuring a peaceful electoral environment. The same operational standards, technological safeguards, and security frameworks being used in Ekiti will also be applied to six other by-elections scheduled for the same day.
These by-elections are taking place in Enugu North (Enugu State), Nasarawa North (Nasarawa State), Rivers South East (Rivers State), Ondo South Senatorial District (Ondo State), Dawakin Kudu/Warawa Federal Constituency (Kano State), and Zuru State Constituency (Kebbi State). INEC is also preparing for the Osun State governorship election, scheduled for Saturday, August 15. The commission has already begun implementing the timetable and activities for that election.
Amupitan urged all political parties to comply with timelines and regulatory requirements, noting that lessons learned from the Ekiti exercise will improve operations in Osun. The commission’s focus remains on delivering credible, transparent, and peaceful elections across Nigeria.
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