The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced the distribution of sensitive election materials across Ekiti State ahead of the governorship election and a series of senatorial and federal constituency by-elections scheduled for Saturday, 20 June 2026.
Officials of the commission were at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) office in Ado-Ekiti on Wednesday sorting and dispatching sensitive materials to the 16 local government areas of the state.
The venue witnessed intense activity as election officials coordinated logistics while security personnel, including police officers, were deployed to ensure the safe movement of materials.
Ekiti State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Bunmi Omoseyindemi, expressed satisfaction with the process, describing it as smooth and well-organised. He assured stakeholders that all materials would be delivered to their designated locations on schedule.
Meanwhile, INEC disclosed that the number of registered voters in Ekiti State has increased from 987,647 recorded during the 2023 governorship election to 1,059,360 ahead of the 2026 poll.
In a statement issued by the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, the commission also announced a significant rise in Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection.
According to the commission, PVC collection increased from 958,052 in 2023 to 1,028,929 in 2026, representing about 97 per cent of registered voters in the state.
INEC said it had successfully concluded the PVC collection exercise ahead of Saturday’s election. The exercise, initially scheduled to end on June 11, was extended to June 14 following consultations with stakeholders during a meeting in Ado-Ekiti.
The commission further disclosed that it received 14,406 applications for replacement PVCs from voters whose cards were lost, damaged, or defaced, in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
All replacement cards were printed, with the majority already collected by their owners.
INEC, however, noted that plans to introduce downloadable replacement voter cards could not be implemented for the Ekiti election because the required technological infrastructure is yet to be fully deployed.
The commission expressed optimism that the innovation would be available for future elections, including the Osun State governorship election in August 2026 and the 2027 general elections.
(Channels Tv)
