The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, has warned political parties in Ekiti State against vote buying ahead of the 2026 governorship election.
Amupitan gave the warning on Wednesday in Ado-Ekiti during the presentation of the voters’ register to political parties for the June 20 governorship poll.
He described vote trading as a major threat to credible elections, urging political parties to focus on issue-based campaigns and avoid electoral inducement.
The INEC chairman disclosed that Ekiti State now has 1,059,360 registered voters following the Continuous Voter Registration exercise, up from about 900,000 recorded in 2023.
He said law enforcement agencies, including the EFCC, ICPC and the police, must ensure offenders involved in vote buying are prosecuted.
Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ekiti, Bunmi Omosehindemi, said the commission had strengthened preparations for the election through voter education, security coordination and deployment of BVAS technology.
Representatives of APC, PDP, ADC and other political parties attended the presentation.
