Ekiti 2026: Kukah Centre Urges Political Parties and Contenders to Promote a Violence-Free Election

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The Kukah Centre, on Tuesday, charged political parties and their candidates in the June 20 governorship election to work towards ensuring a peaceful and violence-free poll.

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The Project Manager of the Kukah Centre, Asabe Ndahi, said political parties owed it a responsibility to sensitise their members on issue-based and violence-free campaigns and activities to ensure a hitch-free exercise.

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She spoke in Ado Ekiti during a pre-election engagement themed, “Socialisation of the Peace Accord Ahead of the 2026 Ekiti State Governorship Election,” attended by some political parties and their candidates ahead of the signing of the Peace Accord.

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The signing of the NPC Peace Accord by parties and their candidates for the Ekiti governorship election to ensure peace before, during and after the election has been slated for May 21 in Ado Ekiti, the state capital.

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Among the political parties represented at the programme were the People’s Democratic Party, Young Progressives Party, Accord, Allied People’s Movement, Action People’s Party, African Action Congress, Action Democratic Party, African Peoples Alliance, Peoples Redemption Party, New Nigeria People’s Party, Zenith Labour Party and the leadership of the Inter-Party Advisory Council.

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Recall that the NPC, since its establishment, has facilitated 28 peace accords at the national and sub-national levels.

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Eleven of the 16 political parties and candidates that participated in the 2022 governorship election in Ekiti State signed the Peace Accord in Ado Ekiti on June 15, 2022.

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Ndahi said the commitments expected from parties and candidates who would sign the Peace Accord included non-violence, respect for democratic processes, responsible political communication, peaceful campaigns and elections, and compliance with electoral laws, among others.

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She said the pre-election programme was “one of the engagements designed to deepen understanding of the Peace Accord, strengthen stakeholder ownership, encourage accountability, and promote collective responsibility for peaceful electoral conduct before, during and after the election.”

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“The initiative brings together political actors, security agencies, electoral institutions, traditional and religious leaders, media organisations, civil society groups and field observers to discuss emerging electoral risks, institutional responsibilities and practical commitments for violence prevention,” she said.

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The project manager added, “The stakeholder engagements aim to strengthen understanding of the Peace Accord and its legal foundations and promote peaceful electoral conduct and accountability among stakeholders.”

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According to her, the objectives included identifying “state-specific electoral risks and mitigation strategies, enhancing coordination between electoral, security, media and civic actors, building consensus ahead of the Peace Accord signing ceremony, and strengthening early warning and response mechanisms for election security.”

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The Kukah Centre also expressed concern over electoral security challenges, vote-buying and voter inducement, political intimidation and misinformation, community tensions and youth involvement in violence, as well as public trust in electoral processes.

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The Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Officer of the Kukah Centre, Deborah Obafemi, urged political parties in the state to “institutionalise transparent and democratic internal processes for candidate selection, particularly in consensus-building and screening procedures.”

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Obafemi also advised the parties to “promote meaningful inclusion of women, youths and persons with disabilities in leadership positions and candidacy through deliberate affirmative measures and shift political competition from personality-driven and elite-driven narratives to policy-based and issue-centred campaigns.”

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She further urged parties to “refrain from inflammatory rhetoric, intimidation, and the recruitment of thugs or non-state actors for political advantage, ensure strict compliance with campaign finance regulations, and avoid misuse of public office or administrative structures for partisan purposes.”

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The officer also advised parties to engage proactively and constructively with media platforms to communicate party manifestos, policy priorities and governance plans, and to “adhere strictly to established rules governing consensus arrangements and internal dispute resolution mechanisms.”

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In his remarks, the Ekiti State Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, Philip Adeniji, restated the commitment of political parties to peace before, during and after the June 20 election.

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Adeniji said, “At the level of IPAC, we are taking it upon ourselves to sensitise people on participating in the election and ensuring they vote freely according to their conscience.”

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