Ekiti Election: Large Voter Turnout Will Make Voting More Competitive – Yiaga Africa

 

Yiaga Africa’s Head of Knowledge Management and Learning, Safiya Bichi, has said the Ekiti election will be more competitive if there is a large voter turnout on Saturday.

Bichi said this during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday.

“There is also an advantage in low turnout. There are times when it favours some political class. However, the more people turnout, the more competitive the election will be, and there is a likelihood that some people might not win the election.

“That is why you see people engaging in sharing disinformation about elections, sharing fake information about candidate anticipation, timelines of election, so they can also discourage people from turning out”, she said on the breakfast show.

Speaking further, Bichi alleged that food items are being shared ahead of the election.

“Rice, money, Indomie, and all these food items people are sharing, they are making promises ahead of the election”.

 

READ ALSO: Ekiti Election: Registration Hits Over One Million As INEC Concludes Voter Cards Collection

She also addressed the popular election mantra of people believing that ‘vote doesn’t count’.

“There is also a popular narrative in Nigeria, not just in Ekiti, that your vote does not count, and we are telling young people that your vote counts.

“If it doesn’t count, nobody will be there to buy it, and these are some of the words we are using to pacify and encourage citizens to engage in our election system”, she added.

Bichi’s stance comes as Ekiti prepares ahead of its governorship election, to be held on the 20th of June, 2026.

The National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, has declared readiness of the commission for the election.

He assured voters, political parties and other stakeholders that all necessary arrangements have been concluded to ensure a peaceful, transparent and credible exercise.

INEC also noted that the number of registered voters in Ekiti State has increased from 987,647 in 2023 to 1,059,360 in 2026.

 

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