By Busuyi Ogidiolu
ADO-EKITI – The Ekiti State Police Command has promised a hard crackdown on vote-buying and other electoral offences ahead of the 2026 governorship election.
Police spokesperson SP Sunday Abutu gave the assurance in Ado-Ekiti at the close of a 2-day “Ekiti State Government Media-Led Stakeholders’ Dialogue on Credible Election”.
The dialogue was organised by the International Press Centre, IPC, and the Centre for Media and Society, CEMESO, with support from the European Union.
“We are going to be tough on vote buying and trading,” Abutu said. “Criminal elements will try to beat our strategies, but we will deploy our forces to prevent that menace.”
He said the Command is aware of the tense political climate around elections and is working with other stakeholders to stay ahead of security threats.
The event drew officials from the Nigeria Police Force, INEC, NSCDC, National Orientation Agency, NUJ, NAWOJ, NBA, NLC, and other groups.
Ekiti Resident Electoral Commissioner, Bunmi Omosehindemi, said voter education and proper accreditation are critical for success.
He stressed that transparency is non-negotiable and urged journalists to drive responsible reporting as agenda setters.
Omosehindemi assured the media of full access to information, noting INEC is tightening transparency mechanisms ahead of the poll.
To curb quackery, he said only accredited journalists will cover the election. Reporters will be registered at designated centres to screen out impostors.
He added that INEC has zero tolerance for harassment of journalists and called on security agencies to protect media professionals on duty.
NUJ Ekiti Chairman, Kayode Babatuyi, said the union is working to stop fake news and praised the dialogue as timely.
He urged INEC to train journalists on the 2026 Electoral Act for accurate reporting. Babatuyi said NUJ has unified state journalists under one umbrella for accountability and is planning drives to tackle voter apathy.
NAWOJ Chairperson, Adewunmi Ademiju, said women journalists will lead in pushing verified information to the public.
She noted that women make up a large part of the electorate, and NAWOJ will run fact-checking initiatives to ensure accurate data reaches voters.
Earlier, IPC Executive Director Lanre Arogundade called for protection of journalists covering elections. He demanded swift investigation of any attack on reporters, saying press safety is central to credible elections and democracy.
