Ekiti 2026: CSOs raise alarm over vote buying, intimidation

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) under the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) Election Observation Hub have raised concerns over alleged voter inducement and intimidation ahead of Saturday’s Ekiti State governorship election.

The organisations include the Kukah Centre (TKC), TAF Africa, Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF), Yiaga Africa, International Press Centre (IPC), and Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO).

Representatives of the organisations include Samson Itodo, Yiaga Africa; Asabe Ndahi, Kukah Centre; Akin Akingbulu, CEMESO; Lanre Arogundade, IPC; Brenda Anugwom, NWTF; and George Anwayi, TAF Africa.

They made the observations in a joint pre-election statement issued to newsmen in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, on Friday.

They also raised concerns over alleged political intimidation and the spread of misinformation ahead of the election.

They said the developments could undermine the credibility of the electoral process if not urgently addressed.

They alleged that money, food items, and other materials were being used to influence voters in some parts of the state, describing the trend as a major threat to the integrity of the election.

According to them, there are also reports of an organised vote-buying scheme involving the use of pre-credited bank accounts to harvest voters’ Permanent Voter Card (PVC) details and National Identification Number (NIN) in exchange for votes.

They said the alleged practice had been reported in Irepodun/Ifelodun, Ikole, Ikere, Ekiti East, and Ekiti West Local Government Areas, raising serious concerns over the misuse of personal data for voter manipulation.

The election observation hub also expressed concern over reported cases of political intimidation and violence, including allegations involving political thugs and the disruption of campaign activities in Ado-Ekiti, Ikole, and Oye Local Government Areas.

The organisations further raised concerns over alleged police detention of political opponents through the use of Form K without recourse to the judiciary, urging security agencies to operate strictly within the provisions of the law.

They also warned that the pre-election information environment was increasingly being affected by misinformation, disinformation, and inflammatory political communication circulating on social media platforms, including Facebook, WhatsApp, TikTok, and X.

They therefore called on electoral authorities, security agencies, political parties and other stakeholders to take urgent steps to address the identified challenges and ensure that the Ekiti State governorship election was conducted in a peaceful, transparent and credible manner.