Ekiti Decides: 10,000 NSCDC personnel, police move in ahead of poll

Security agencies have intensified preparations for Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti State, with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) deploying 10,000 personnel while the police activate a comprehensive security framework across the state.

The massive security mobilisation comes as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) begins the distribution of sensitive election materials to the 16 local government areas ahead of the June 20 poll.

Ekiti voters are expected to elect a new governor from candidates fielded by 13 political parties in an election widely seen as a major political test ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The NSCDC said personnel drawn from several states, including Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Kwara, Edo and Kogi, have been deployed to ensure a peaceful and violence-free election.

In addition, elite tactical units, including the Special Intelligence Squad, Special Weapons and Tactics Unit, Special Force, Crack Squad and K9 Unit, have been mobilised to tackle potential threats.

“Our mission in Ekiti State is definitive: to protect the integrity of the democratic process and guarantee the safety of every voter, election official and citizen,” the NSCDC said.

The Nigeria Police Force also confirmed that deployment arrangements had been concluded, with officers already moving into strategic locations across the state.

The Police Public Relations Officer in Ekiti State, Sunday Abutu, said security agencies had activated intelligence gathering and rapid response mechanisms aimed at preventing political violence, thuggery, cult-related activities and misinformation campaigns.

According to him, security personnel will protect polling units, collation centres, electoral officials, voters, observers, journalists and critical infrastructure during the election.

Meanwhile, INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ekiti State, Dr Bunmi Omoseyindemi, said the commission would commence the movement of sensitive materials to local government areas on Thursday.

He said the electoral body had concluded all major preparations for the election, adding that non-sensitive materials had already been distributed.

“We have done most of the things we need to do,” Omoseyindemi said.

To support the election, the Nigerian Air Force confirmed that it successfully airlifted sensitive electoral materials from Abuja to designated locations across the country, including those required for the Ekiti governorship poll.

The Air Force said the operation was carried out to ensure the timely and secure delivery of election materials ahead of the exercise.

In another development, the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Monica Dongban-Mensem, has constituted the Ekiti State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal ahead of possible post-election disputes.

The tribunal will sit at the National Industrial Court premises in Ado Ekiti.

Also, civil society organisation TAF Africa said it would deploy 150 election observers and 25 sign language interpreters to monitor the election and support persons with disabilities at polling units across the state.

The group said the initiative was aimed at ensuring inclusiveness and real-time monitoring of the electoral process.

Saturday’s election will take place across the state’s 16 local government areas, 177 wards and more than 2,000 polling units.