YIAGA Africa has raised concerns over alleged early distribution of food items and other materials ahead of the Ekiti State governorship election scheduled for Saturday.
The group made the claim during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Thursday, where its Head of Knowledge Management and Learning, Safiya Bichi, spoke about the situation.
According to Bichi, reports from monitoring activities suggest that items such as rice, Indomie noodles, cash, and other food supplies are being shared among voters ahead of the poll.
She explained that the level of competition in the Ekiti election may increase if more voters come out to participate on election day, stressing the importance of strong voter turnout.
Bichi also addressed the common belief among some citizens that their votes do not matter, describing it as a damaging mindset that discourages participation in elections.
She encouraged young people in particular to ignore such beliefs and take part in the democratic process, insisting that votes are powerful and can influence election outcomes. She added that if votes truly did not matter, there would be no attempts to influence or buy them.
Her comments come as Ekiti State prepares for its governorship election holding on June 20, 2026.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured the public of full readiness for the exercise. The Commission’s National Chairman, Joash Amupitan, said all necessary arrangements have been completed to ensure a peaceful, transparent, and credible election.
INEC also confirmed an increase in registered voters in Ekiti State, which rose from 987,647 in 2023 to 1,059,360 in 2026, reflecting growing political participation in the state.