The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that 1,059,360 registered voters are eligible to participate in the Ekiti State governorship election scheduled for Saturday, June 20, 2026.
The electoral commission also disclosed that 1,028,929 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) have been collected across the state, representing an impressive 97.1 per cent of registered voters ahead of the poll.
INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, made the disclosure in a statement issued on Wednesday.
According to the commission, the figure emerged following the completion of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) clean-up exercise, which increased the number of registered voters in Ekiti State from 987,647 in 2023 to 1,059,360 in 2026.
The commission said the PVC collection exercise, initially scheduled to end on June 11, was extended to June 14 following consultations with stakeholders in Ado-Ekiti, allowing more eligible voters to obtain their cards before election day.
INEC further revealed that it received 14,406 applications for the replacement of lost, damaged or defaced PVCs in accordance with the Electoral Act. It added that all replacement cards were successfully produced, with most of them already collected by their owners.
On the proposed introduction of downloadable voter cards, the commission explained that the innovation could not be deployed for the Ekiti election because the necessary technological infrastructure was not yet fully in place.
However, INEC assured Nigerians that the initiative would be implemented in subsequent elections, including the Osun State Governorship Election slated for August 2026 and the 2027 General Elections.
The electoral body also announced that a detailed breakdown of PVC collection statistics across Ekiti State’s 16 local government areas has been published on its official website and social media platforms for public access.
INEC commended traditional rulers, community leaders, civil society organisations, political parties and media stakeholders for their role in mobilising voters and promoting electoral participation across the state.
Reaffirming its commitment to a credible electoral process, the commission urged all eligible voters who have collected their PVCs to turn out peacefully and exercise their democratic rights on election day.
INEC stressed that all logistical and operational arrangements have been concluded to ensure a free, fair, credible and inclusive governorship election in Ekiti State.
