KEY POINTS

• INEC met political parties ahead of the June 20 Ekiti governorship election to review preparations.
• The commission defended its decision to appeal court rulings on its authority over election timetables and party primaries.
• INEC reaffirmed its commitment to a coordinated, transparent and legally compliant electoral process despite ongoing litigation.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has held a meeting with chairmen and secretaries of political parties as part of its final consultations ahead of the Ekiti governorship election scheduled for June 20, 2026.

The engagement is one of several preparatory meetings aimed at ensuring smooth conduct of the poll, coming just 11 days before voters head to the polls.

At the meeting, INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan defended the commission’s decision to appeal two Federal High Court judgments that challenged aspects of its authority over election timetables. The rulings had raised questions about INEC’s powers to regulate timelines for party primaries and other pre-election activities.

Amupitan said the commission sought a clearer judicial interpretation, noting that one judgment affirmed INEC’s authority to issue election timetables while another struck out its power to set timelines for party primaries and candidate nominations.

Court Cases and Electoral Disagreements

The INEC chairman referenced two separate cases: Youth Party v. INEC and Social Democratic Party (SDP) v. INEC, both delivered in May 2026. While one judgment questioned parts of the commission’s timetable, the other partially validated INEC’s powers but nullified certain provisions related to nomination and substitution of candidates.

He said the commission had already filed appeals to obtain a definitive ruling from higher courts.

According to Amupitan, many electoral processes are interlinked and require strict coordination, even where the Electoral Act does not provide explicit timelines. He listed activities such as party membership verification, monitoring of primaries, ballot printing, BVAS configuration, and result sheet preparation as critical processes that must be properly scheduled.

He stressed that a unified and consistent electoral calendar was necessary to ensure transparency, efficiency, and fairness across all political parties.

INEC assured political parties and the public that despite ongoing legal disputes, preparations for the Ekiti governorship election remain on track. The commission reaffirmed its commitment to conducting elections in line with the Constitution and the Electoral Act, emphasizing its resolve to maintain credibility and order in the electoral process.