Ekiti 2026: National Peace committee warns against violence, vote buying
The National Peace Commission has warned against vote-buying and rising insecurity as part of efforts to ensure a peaceful governorship election in Ekiti State ahead of the June 20, 2026
The National Peace Commission has warned against vote-buying and rising insecurity as part of efforts to ensure a peaceful governorship election in Ekiti State ahead of the June 20, 2026 poll.
The commission called for proactive action by security agencies to tackle kidnapping and interpersonal violence, which it identified as major threats to voter participation and electoral credibility.
NPC Project Manager Asabe Ndahi said conflict prevention remained central to protecting Nigeria’s democratic processes.
She spoke in Ado Ekiti during a three-day Stakeholders’ Validation Forum organised by the NPC through its secretariat, the Kukah Centre, with funding support from the European Union.
The forum brought together electoral stakeholders including security agencies, political actors, civil society groups, faith leaders, traditional rulers, media practitioners and community representatives.
Ndahi explained that the validation exercise was designed to strengthen local ownership of electoral risk assessments and generate practical recommendations for preventing violence.
“The NPC is committed to working with electoral authorities, security agencies and community actors to promote dialogue, preventive engagement and adherence to peace accords before, during, and after elections,” she said.
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She added that the commission would deploy evidence-based interventions, stakeholder mediation and peace advocacy programmes to ensure that elections in Ekiti State remain peaceful, credible and reflective of the people’s will.
NPC Senior Programmes Manager Esrom Ajanya warned that vote-buying was undermining democratic participation and political accountability.
According to him, electoral transactions have gradually normalised patronage politics in the state.
“Vote-buying, previously documented as pervasive in Ekiti elections, has normalized transactional politics. When votes become commodities, policy debates weaken and civic motivation declines. This dynamic is reflected in the trends of turnout,” Ajanya said.
He linked declining voter participation to growing distrust in political institutions, economic pressures and elite dissatisfaction.
Ajanya noted that voter turnout in Ekiti had fallen from above 50 per cent in the 2014 governorship election to below 37 per cent in 2022 despite high political awareness among citizens.