The Democracy and Good Governance Watch Initiative (DGGWI) has commended the peaceful and orderly conduct of the 2026 governorship election in Ekiti State, while expressing concern over what it described as the poor participation of opposition political parties in the electoral process.
In a statement issued on Saturday and jointly signed by its Executive Directors, Nelson Ekujumi, Gbenga Soloki and Popoola Ajayi, the civil society organisation praised the people of Ekiti State for their peaceful conduct during the election across the state’s 16 local government areas.
According to the group, its election observers deployed across the state reported that voters conducted themselves in an orderly manner throughout the exercise.
The organisation urged residents to sustain the peaceful atmosphere until the completion of the electoral process, including the announcement and declaration of results by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
DGGWI also commended INEC for what it described as the timely deployment of personnel and election materials to most polling units, noting that voting commenced between 8:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. in about 98 per cent of polling stations across the state.
The group, however, observed that a few polling units experienced delays due to malfunctioning Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines.
It noted with satisfaction that INEC responded promptly by replacing the faulty devices and extending voting time in affected polling units to compensate for the delayed commencement of the exercise.
The organisation further applauded security agencies for their professionalism, neutrality and efficient deployment during the election.
According to the group, the conduct of security personnel helped boost public confidence in the electoral process and encouraged voters to come out and exercise their democratic rights without fear or intimidation.
Despite the generally positive assessment of the election, DGGWI expressed disappointment over what it termed the lacklustre participation of the 13 opposition political parties that contested the governorship election.
The group said most of the parties were barely visible during the campaign period and had little or no presence at polling units on election day.
It noted that apart from a few agents of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) seen at some polling stations, representatives of most opposition parties were largely absent.
According to DGGWI, the poor engagement of opposition parties may have negatively affected voter turnout and reduced the level of political competition usually associated with governorship elections in Ekiti State.
The organisation argued that the limited participation of opposition parties effectively turned the election into a one-sided contest in favour of the ruling party and incumbent governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji.
It described the situation as unfortunate, noting that previous governorship elections in the state were characterised by intense political rivalry and vigorous campaigns among competing parties.
DGGWI also commended accredited media organisations and election observers for demonstrating professionalism, neutrality and commitment in the discharge of their responsibilities during the election.
As the collation and declaration of results continue, the group called on residents of Ekiti State to remain law-abiding and avoid actions capable of disrupting public peace and order.
The organisation urged all stakeholders to continue to uphold democratic values and ensure that the peaceful conduct witnessed during the election is sustained throughout the post-election period.