BY CHIKA OKEKE, Abuja
As 2026 Ekiti off-cycle Governorship Election approaches, Civil Society Organisation's (CSOs) have faulted delay in release of funds and zero female candidates across 13 political parties.
This is even as the CSO's pegged INEC's preparedness at 34 percent, raising concern over uncontested political space and a media environment partially suppressed by a punitive levy.
This formed the crux of discuss at the unveiling of Ekiti State off-cycle Governorship Election Pre-Assessment Report on Thursday in Abuja.
The report was endorsed by Election Observation Hub, comprising Centre For Media and Society (CEMESO), ElectHER, International Press Centre (IPC), Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF), TAF Africa, The Kukah Centre and Yiaga Africa.
It was funded under the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria Phase Two (EU-SDGN II) programme, which is consistent with its mission of promoting transparent, credible, peaceful and inclusive elections.
Executive Director of the Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF), Brenda Anugwom described the forthcoming poll as a critical milestone in Nigeria's democratic journey and a forerunner to the 2027 General Election, lamenting that the election faces structural vulnerabilities serious enough to challenge its credibility if left unaddressed.
She observed that the credibility of the election will be determined not by the absence of violence alone, but by the transparency, inclusiveness and public acceptance of the outcome.
Anugwom assured that election observation hub will deploy long-term and short-term observers across the state and will continue to monitor the process and engage stakeholders towards the conduct of a peaceful, free, fair, credible and inclusive election.
The (EU-SDGN II) six components support are the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), National Assembly and the Judiciary, Political Parties, Media, Women, Youth, and Persons with Disabilities, and Civil Society Organisations.
Anugwom enjoined all stakeholders to act decisively to consolidate the gains identified in the report and address the outstanding risks.
She noted that the most critical actor at this stage is INEC, whose operational failure would cascade across all other areas.
The report assesses the political economy of the election, the preparedness of INEC, the media and information environment, the participation of marginalised groups, and the election-related risks that could compromise the integrity, credibility and legitimacy of the process.
She said: "The INEC should ensure the timely release and effective utilisation of election funds to complete pending pre-election activities, including the rehabilitation of State and LGA offices, RACs and collation centres.
"Configure and stress-test the BVAS and the IReV to guarantee seamless accreditation, transparent collation and the credible electronic transmission of results in line with the Electoral Act 2026.
"Activate the INEC Security and Alert Notification System (ISANS) for rapid response, provide raincoats and protective covering for personnel and materials, and intensify civic and voter education to address apathy and discourage vote trading.
"Implement priority voting and accessibility measures for vulnerable persons, expand the deployment of assistive devices, and improve the collection of gender- and PWD-disaggregated data."
The Executive Director of IPC, Mr Lanre Arogundade lamented the exclusion of women, youths and PWDs despite the existence of progressive laws such as the Ekiti State Political Offices (Gender Composition) Law 2022 and the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Law 2020, adding that none of the 13 political parties fielded a female governorship candidate.
"No candidate publicly identifies as a person with disability. High nomination fees, informal gatekeeping and entrenched patronage networks continue to constrict the participation of women, youths and PWDs at the highest levels of political competition," he added.
Arogundade informed that the political awareness and civic engagement of women, youth and persons with disabilities in Ekiti remains high, making the structural exclusion of the groups from candidate lists even more egregious and inexcusable.
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