By Idowu Adebomi
The Ekiti State Command of the Nigeria Police Force has warned political actors, interest groups, and members of the public against the unauthorized announcement or publication of election results ahead of Saturday’s governorship election, stressing that only the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has the constitutional mandate to declare election outcomes.
The command also dismissed fears of ballot box snatching during the poll, assuring residents that comprehensive security measures including a statewide restriction on vehicular movement and the strategic deployment of security personnel have been put in place to ensure a peaceful, credible, and violence-free election.
The Commissioner of Police in charge of security for the Ekiti Governorship Election, CP Abayomi Shogunle, gave the warning on Friday while addressing journalists in Ado-Ekiti, less than 24 hours before voters head to the polls.
Shogunle emphasized that the Electoral Act 2026 criminalizes the unauthorized declaration of election results, warning that anyone found circulating fake, unofficial, or misleading results would be arrested and prosecuted.
According to him, “The Electoral Act is very clear on certain conducts that constitute electoral offences. One of them is announcing unofficial election results.”
“It is INEC that has the statutory power to declare election results, and it is only what INEC declares that should be disseminated by individuals and organizations.”
“We are also going to be looking for people who announce election results that are not correct.”
The Police commissioner disclosed that security agencies would deploy technology-driven surveillance mechanisms to monitor activities during the election, although he declined to reveal specific details.
“The simple answer is yes, we are also using technology. However, I do not want to disclose the nature of those technologies so that individuals with criminal intentions will not attempt to circumvent our efforts,” he said.
Addressing concerns about ballot box snatching, Shogunle expressed confidence in the security architecture put in place for the election, noting that several preventive measures had been adopted to deter electoral offenders and ensure swift intervention where necessary.
“As part of the security arrangements we have put in place, we have adopted measures to deter and apprehend anyone attempting to snatch or destroy ballot boxes.”
“One of these measures is the restriction of vehicular movement. Apart from the exempted categories already announced, nobody will be allowed to move around with vehicles, motorcycles, or any mechanically propelled means of transportation on election day.”
“We are also deploying police personnel to strategic locations, because anyone intending to cause trouble must come from somewhere and move towards the polling units where such acts may occur.”
“Likewise, after committing such acts, they would need to leave for another location. We have therefore put measures in place at strategic points to prevent such incidents from happening,” he stated.
Shogunle urged residents to remain law-abiding, cooperate with security agencies, and conduct themselves peacefully throughout the electoral process, assuring them that the police and other security agencies are fully prepared to protect voters, election officials, and electoral materials across the state.