The CLEEN Foundation has raised concerns over the neutrality of some security personnel deployed during the 2026 Ekiti State governorship election, despite describing the overall conduct of officers as largely professional.
The report, released after the poll held on Saturday, 20 June 2026, observed that while security deployment was widespread and effective in many areas, nearly half of officers were perceived as not impartial.
CLEEN Foundation said its 60 accredited observers monitored all 16 local government areas using a real-time tracking system to assess police conduct and election security.
“The majority of security personnel arrived early, were properly identified, and contributed to a generally peaceful voting environment,” the organisation said.
However, it noted concerns over neutrality, stating that “46.3% of security officials were rated as not impartial at all,” raising questions about fairness in some polling units.
Despite this, the report found that voter confidence remained high, with 100% of respondents indicating that citizens felt safe or very safe during the election.
“Security presence helped create an enabling environment for voters, including women, the elderly and persons with disabilities,” CLEEN Foundation observed.
The group also reported isolated incidents of insecurity, including an attack on a police station in Oye Local Government Area on the eve of the election, which left officers injured and property destroyed.
CLEEN Foundation recommended stronger training, strict enforcement of electoral conduct rules, and rotational deployment of officers to improve neutrality in future elections.
