NPC Raises Alarm Over Vote-Buying, Insecurity Ahead of Ekiti 2026 Governorship Poll

The National Peace Commission (NPC) has cautioned political actors and stakeholders against vote-buying and rising insecurity ahead of the June 20, 2026 governorship election in Ekiti State.

The commission urged security agencies to take proactive measures to curb kidnapping and interpersonal violence, describing them as significant threats to voter participation and the credibility of the electoral process.

Speaking on Friday in Ado Ekiti at a three-day Stakeholders’ Validation Forum, NPC Project Manager Asabe Ndahi said conflict prevention remains vital to safeguarding Nigeria’s democratic institutions. The forum was organised by the commission through its secretariat, the Kukah Centre, with support from the European Union, and drew participants from security agencies, political parties, civil society organisations, faith leaders, traditional rulers, media practitioners and community representatives.

Ndahi explained that the validation forum was aimed at strengthening local ownership of electoral risk assessments and developing practical strategies to prevent violence.

She reaffirmed the NPC’s commitment to collaborating with electoral authorities, security agencies and community stakeholders to promote dialogue, preventive engagement and adherence to peace accords before, during and after the election. According to her, the commission will deploy evidence-based interventions, mediation initiatives and peace advocacy programmes to ensure the poll is peaceful, credible and reflective of the people’s will.

NPC Senior Programmes Manager Esrom Ajanya also warned that vote-buying continues to undermine democratic participation and accountability in the state.

He noted that the practice, which has been widely reported in previous Ekiti elections, has entrenched transactional politics.

“Vote-buying, previously documented as pervasive in Ekiti elections, has normalised transactional politics. When votes become commodities, policy debates weaken and civic motivation declines. This dynamic is reflected in turnout trends,” Ajanya said.

He attributed declining voter turnout to growing distrust in political institutions, economic hardship and dissatisfaction among political elites. Ajanya observed that voter participation in Ekiti dropped from over 50 per cent in the 2014 governorship election to below 37 per cent in 2022, despite high political awareness among residents.

Security concerns were also identified as factors discouraging electoral participation. NPC Monitoring, Evaluation and Training Officer Deborah Obafemi disclosed that Ekiti recorded eight security incidents across six local government areas between August 2025 and January 2026, resulting in two fatalities.

Although none of the incidents were directly classified as election-related, she warned that kidnapping and recurring interpersonal violence pose indirect risks to election logistics, voter confidence and the mobility of electoral personnel.

“Even though there were no overt electoral violence incidents in the dataset, the patterns recorded, particularly kidnapping and repeat interpersonal violence, represent measurable indirect threats to election logistics, turnout confidence and the willingness of communities and ad-hoc staff to move freely during electoral periods,” Obafemi said.

She called on security agencies to implement hotspot-focused deterrence strategies, intensify patrols in kidnapping-prone areas during the pre-election period and strengthen intelligence monitoring of rural travel routes and farming communities.

Obafemi also advised the Independent National Electoral Commission to review deployment schedules and operational movements to minimise exposure to high-risk corridors, while reinforcing security at collation centres and during the transportation of election materials at the local government level.

Participants at the forum emphasised the need for responsible political conduct, conflict-sensitive media reporting and sustained civic education to guarantee a peaceful electoral process. They stressed that strengthening democratic participation and reducing electoral violence would be crucial to delivering a credible and inclusive governorship election in Ekiti State.