The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has assured voters in Ekiti State that the June 20 governorship election will be credible, transparent, and professionally conducted.
Speaking on Thursday, June 11, in Ado-Ekiti during a stakeholders’ engagement on the commission’s readiness, Amupitan said INEC was fully prepared operationally, technologically, and logistically to deliver a reliable election.
“INEC is logistically, technologically and operationally prepared to deliver an election that will stand as an unassailable baseline of credibility. A credible election is built upon the integrity of its voter registers.
He noted that a total of 1,059,360 registered voters are expected to participate across 16 local government areas, 117 wards, and 2,445 polling units in the state.
Amupitan emphasised the deployment of technology to safeguard the process, stressing that voter accreditation would strictly rely on the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
“To secure the sanctity of the ballot, the Commission is deploying its full suite of technological safeguards. The Bimodal Voter Accreditation System will be the sole instrument for voter authentication and accreditation.
“Our immutable legal standard is – No PVC, No Accreditation and No Voting. There will be no bypasses, and there will be no exceptions.”
He added that INEC is working with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Crimes Commission to curb vote buying and electoral corruption.
He said security agencies have been directed to maintain strict control around polling units to prevent intimidation and inducement.
“Deployed personnel are under strict instructions to keep the immediate perimeter of our 2,445 polling units completely insulated from the corrosive influence of vote-buying and financial inducement. We shall defend the ballot box from physical violence and fiscal contamination alike.”
Amupitan further disclosed that results would be transmitted electronically through the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) to ensure transparency.
He also highlighted inclusivity measures for persons with disabilities, including assistive tools such as Braille ballot guides and magnifying glasses.
“Simultaneously, we have deliberately elevated our infrastructure for administrative inclusivity. This election will see the practical deployment of assistive technologies – including Braille ballot guides, magnifying glasses for persons with albinism and persons living with disabilities. Equity is not an afterthought; it is a necessity.”
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He warned against electoral violence and urged political actors to maintain peace, noting that security agencies have been fully deployed with clear directives.
“The Commission, working in absolute cohesion with the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, has mapped every localised vulnerability, including specific risks related to political thuggery, cultism, or attempted ballot disruption in known areas in the state.
“Security forces have been handed precise operational orders to deal decisively with any actor, regardless of status, who seeks to subvert the peace or test our collective resolve.”
He assured that all polling units would open simultaneously at 8:30am, adding that logistics arrangements had been concluded.
Amupitan also reiterated INEC’s neutrality, stating that the commission has no preferred candidate or political interest.
“The ultimate credibility of our democracy rests upon a shared allegiance to the rule of law. On its part, the INEC remains an independent, completely dispassionate, and impartial arbiter in the discharge of its constitutional mandates.
“We hold no preferred candidates and we answer to no political interest. Our solitary alignment is with the law and the sovereign will of the Nigerian people.
He urged journalists to report the election responsibly and avoid sensationalism or bias.
“The Nigerian voter deserves the truth, and only the truth. Report it without fear and without favour,” he said.
Stakeholders present at the meeting included political parties, candidates, civil society groups, observers, media representatives, and INEC officials.