UE, civil society groups launch real-time election monitoring center for Ekiti gubernatorial election

The European Union and a coalition of leading civil society organizations have established a Joint Election Observation Center to track and assess Saturday’s Ekiti State gubernatorial election in real-time, as part of efforts to increase transparency, encourage credible reporting and strengthen public confidence in the electoral process.

The initiative is being implemented under the European Union Support for Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) program and will involve the deployment of accredited observers across local government areas in the state.

According to a statement issued by the EU Delegation on Thursday, the observation center will coordinate the collection, verification and analysis of information from polling stations and other election-related locations across the state.

Participating organizations include Yiaga Africa, International Press Centre, Center for Media and Society, TAF Africa, The Kukah Center and Nigerian Women Trust Fund.

While launching the initiative in Ado-Ekiti, the coalition explained that the center will serve as a command center for election monitoring activities, enabling rapid assessment of reports submitted by field observers and facilitating timely dissemination of verified information.

Observers will monitor important aspects of the election process, including voter accreditation, commencement of voting, vote counting, collection of results, media coverage, compliance with election regulations, and overall election integrity.

The coalition noted that special attention will be paid to the participation of women, youth and people with disabilities to ensure inclusivity during the elections.

“Verified information from the field will be analyzed in real-time and shared through regular public updates to promote transparency, counter misinformation, strengthen public trust and encourage peaceful participation before, during and after the elections,” the organization said.

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Explaining the importance of this collaboration, the coalition said that this initiative demonstrates the collective capacity of Nigerian civil society groups to make meaningful contributions to democratic accountability.

“The Joint Election Observation Center reflects the power of Nigerian civil society working together in the public interest.

“By bringing together our expertise, national networks, and election monitoring efforts, we can provide timely, credible, and evidence-based information that strengthens transparency, supports peaceful participation, and strengthens public confidence in the election process,” the statement said.

The organizations emphasized that maintaining the credibility of elections is a shared responsibility involving citizens, political actors, security agencies, election officials, the media and civil society.

“Every stakeholder has a responsibility to protect the integrity of the electoral process. We encourage citizens to participate peacefully, reject violence and misinformation, and contribute to elections that reflect the will of the people,” they added.

Also speaking, Governance Advisor to the European Union Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Laolu Olawumi, reiterated the EU’s commitment to supporting democratic development through partnerships and locally driven institutions.

“The European Union is proud to support this initiative that puts Nigerian organizations at the forefront of strengthening democracy.

“This Joint Election Observation Center is important because it is locally led, locally driven, and built on the collective expertise of Nigeria’s trusted civil society organizations. It reflects our long-term commitment to supporting sustainable democratic institutions while ensuring that Nigerians themselves lead efforts to protect and strengthen their democracy,” he said.

The Ekiti gubernatorial election is widely considered to be one of the most significant off-cycle elections in the country and is expected to provide insight into political trends ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The election, scheduled for June 20, 2026, will determine whether Governor Biodun Oyebanji gets a second term in office or whether opposition parties succeed in taking control of the state.

Political analysts have long viewed Ekiti as one of Nigeria’s most politically engaged states, with its electorate known to be able to make independent electoral choices and hold elected officials accountable regardless of party affiliation.

Observers are also expected to closely monitor the performance of election technologies introduced by the Independent National Electoral Commission, particularly the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV), which have been key features of recent elections across the country.

Issues such as voter turnout, election security, misinformation and participation of marginalized groups are also expected to attract great attention during this exercise.

Against this background, the Joint Election Observation Center is expected to function as an independent platform to track developments, verify incidents and provide up-to-date information based on facts that can increase transparency and public confidence in election results.

For the European Union and its civil society partners, this project represents more than just an observation on election day; this is part of a broader effort to strengthen the culture of democracy and promote peaceful, inclusive and credible elections in Nigeria.