Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, yesterday said the Ekiti governorship election would serve as a benchmark for transparency in the 2027 elections.

The INEC Chairman also declared that the Commission has no preferred aspirant or political party in the election, saying, “We hold no preferred candidate, and we answer to no political interest. Our solitary alignment is with the law and the sovereign will of the Nigerian people.”

Amupitan spoke during the Ekiti State governorship election stakeholders’ forum held in Ado-Ekiti.

The INEC boss explained that the logistics plan had been perfected, just as arrangements with the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) and the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) are being finalised to ensure a synchronised movement of personnel and materials.

Amupitan, who also spoke on vote buying during the polls, said: “We are partnering closely with the EFCC and the ICPC. Deployed personnel are under strict instructions to keep the immediate perimeter of our 2,445 polling units completely insulated from the corrosive influence of vote-buying and financial inducement. We shall defend the ballot boxes from physical violence and fiscal contamination alike.”

He said that , following complaints of intimidation and harassment by opposition parties, as well as the inducement of voters to collect PVCs, he promised that the allegations would be investigated.

MEANWHILE, wife of Ekiti State Governor, Dr Olayemi Oyebanji, has disbursed N10 million in scholarships to 100 orphaned and indigent students in higher institutions across the state.

She, however, reaffirmed her commitment to ensuring that no child is deprived of a quality education due to poverty or difficult life circumstances.

Oyebanji, speaking at the scholarship disbursement ceremony in Ado-Ekiti, described education as a critical tool for empowerment, social mobility, and national development, stressing that every young person deserves the opportunity to achieve academic success regardless of their financial background.

The scholarship scheme, facilitated through her Foundation, benefited students selected from the 10 tertiary institutions in Ekiti State.

Each beneficiary received N100,000 in financial support to ease the burden of educational expenses.

According to the governor’s wife, the initiative is part of her yearly intervention programme designed to support vulnerable students and promote access to education.

She noted that the Foundation also extends educational assistance to pupils and students in primary and secondary schools through its yearly back-to-school programme, which provides learning materials and other educational resources.

Earlier in her welcome address, the Coordinator of the Widows, Aged, Orphans and Hope (WAOH) Project, Dr Kemi Dairo, explained that the beneficiaries were carefully selected from the various institutions based on their indigent status and demonstrated need for assistance.

She stressed that the scholarship funds would help beneficiaries cover tuition fees, procure academic materials, support research projects, and meet other educational needs.