The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced a coordinated operation with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to arrest and prosecute individuals involved in vote-buying during the forthcoming Ekiti State governorship election.
The Chairman of INEC, Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, disclosed this on Thursday during a strategic consultative meeting with the Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers in Ado Ekiti, the state capital.
Professor Amupitan said the commission was working closely with anti-corruption agencies to combat electoral malpractice and ensure the credibility of the June 20 governorship election.
He warned that financial inducement of voters remains a serious threat to democracy and urged traditional rulers to mobilise their communities against the practice.
“The Commission is working in strict alignment with the EFCC and the ICPC to arrest and prosecute financial agents attempting to buy votes around our polling units,” he said.
He appealed to traditional rulers to use their influence to discourage vote trading, describing the practice as a betrayal of the future of the people.
According to him, Ekiti, widely known as the Fountain of Knowledge, must set an example for the rest of the country by demonstrating that electoral choices cannot be purchased.
The INEC Chairman also reaffirmed the commission’s neutrality, stressing that it has no preferred candidate in the election.
“As the Chairman of this Commission, I give you my solemn, unassailable pledge: INEC has no candidate in this election. We are completely independent, neutral and dispassionate. Our only allegiance is to the Constitution, the Electoral Act and the raw expression of the will of the Ekiti people,” he stated.
Professor Amupitan noted that despite simultaneous legislative bye-elections scheduled to hold in six other states, including Enugu North, Nasarawa North, Rivers South-East and Ondo South Senatorial Districts, the commission remained fully committed to delivering a credible governorship election in Ekiti.
He expressed optimism that the poll would become a benchmark for future elections and serve as a model ahead of the 2027 General Elections.
In a related development, the INEC Chairman approved the extension of the Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection exercise in Ekiti State until Sunday, giving eligible voters additional time to obtain their cards before the election.
He urged traditional rulers to continue promoting peace and restraining politicians and their supporters from actions capable of causing tension during the electoral process.
Responding on behalf of the traditional rulers, the Acting Chairman of the Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers and Ajero of Ijero, Oba Joseph Adebayo Adewole, called on INEC to consider creating additional electoral wards and polling units in the state to reflect population growth since the current structures were established about three decades ago.
The monarch also advocated an increase in the number of federal constituencies in the state to at least nine, arguing that the current arrangement no longer reflects demographic realities.
Oba Adewole urged the commission to use the Ekiti governorship election as a test case for the 2027 General Elections, adding that the era of election-related violence in the state had largely passed.
