Ahead of the Ekiti State Governorship poll on Saturday, stakeholders of Nigeria’s electoral process have urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure strict compliance with the electronic transmission of election results since it as a critical test of the reforms introduced under the new Electoral Act.

The call was made at a Multi-Stakeholder Roundtable on Legal Compliance and Electoral Integrity organised by the Youth Electoral Reform Project (YERP-Naija) and The New Generation Girls and Women Development Initiative (NIGAWD) held yesterday in Ado-Ekiti.

Participants at the forum stressed that the Ekiti governorship election, the first major poll to be conducted under the provisions of the 2026 Electoral Act, presents an opportunity for INEC to demonstrate its commitment to transparency and accountability through the seamless electronic transmission of polling unit results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).

The Executive Director of NIGAWD and South-West Coordinator of YERP-Naija, Abimbola Aladejare-Salako, said the election would serve as a litmus test for the implementation of electoral reforms championed by youth groups and civil society organisations following concerns raised over the conduct of the 2023 general elections.

She noted that one of the landmark provisions of the Electoral Act signed into law by President Bola Tinubu in February 2026 is the mandatory electronic transmission of results from polling units immediately after completion of voting and result collation procedures.

According to her, Ekiti voters expect significant improvements in transparency, inclusiveness, competitiveness and accountability, all of which are essential ingredients of credible elections.

“The Ekiti governorship election offers an opportunity for INEC to demonstrate its commitment to the full implementation of the new Electoral Act and restore public confidence in the electoral process,” she stated.

Aladejare-Salako recalled that the provision mandating electronic transmission of results emerged from extensive advocacy undertaken by YERP-Naija and allied civil society organisations across the country.

She explained that the campaign was designed to strengthen public trust in election outcomes by reducing opportunities for manipulation during the collation and transmission of results.

Aladejare-Salako said the roundtable was convened to facilitate dialogue among electoral stakeholders, including INEC, security agencies, civil society organisations, political actors and the media, on practical measures needed to guarantee peaceful, credible and legally compliant elections.

She called on all stakeholders to make concrete commitments towards protecting the integrity of the electoral process before, during and after the election.

In a goodwill message, Program Director of the National Democratic Institute (NDI), Bem Aga, commended YERP-Naija and its civil society partners for their sustained advocacy that culminated in the passage of the 2026 Electoral Act.

Aga said NDI was proud to support the Youth Electoral Reform Project, noting that NIGAWD serves as the South-West secretariat of the initiative.

He described citizen participation and credible elections as two fundamental pillars of democracy and expressed satisfaction that youth-focused organisations had moved beyond advocacy to monitoring the implementation of the reforms they championed.

“We are glad that NIGAWD and other youth-focused YERP-Naija civil society partners conducted countrywide advocacy for the passage of the 2026 Electoral Act and are now working closely with other electoral stakeholders to ensure that the new law is implemented during the 2026 off-cycle gubernatorial elections in Ekiti and Osun states, and during the 2027 general elections,” Aga said.

As Ekiti residents prepare to elect a new governor, he expressed optimism that INEC, security agencies and other relevant authorities would heed the concerns and recommendations of young people by ensuring a peaceful and credible election.

Aga also encouraged youths across the state to participate actively and peacefully in the electoral process by turning out to vote for candidates of their choice.

“Young people are the promise of every society and they have a duty to participate in governance processes such as elections in order to shape the policies that affect their lives,” he added.

Stakeholders at the roundtable specifically called on INEC to provide clear guidelines on the implementation of Section 60(3) of the Electoral Act, which makes electronic transmission mandatory while also providing alternative procedures where communication networks fail.

They expressed concerns that the exception clause could be abused if adequate safeguards are not established and demanded assurances that any alternative process would be transparent, verifiable and subject to public scrutiny.

The forum also urged INEC to clarify the implementation of Section 18(1) of the Electoral Act, which provides for downloadable Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for voters whose cards have been lost or damaged ahead of the election.