Two days to go, and Ekiti is on full election alert. Ballot papers are rolling out, soldiers of the ballot box are landing by air, and security is everywhere you look.

The big one is this Thursday. INEC says it is finally moving the sensitive stuff, think ballot papers, BVAS machines and voter registers, out to all 16 local government areas in Ekiti.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Bunmi Omoseyindemi, told The PUNCH on Wednesday they've pretty much ticked every box: "We (INEC) have done most of the things we need to do." Non-sensitive materials are already out there, so today is the crucial bit.

And they didn't exactly post it by road. The Nigerian Air Force did a proper airlift between 15 and 16 June, flying materials out of Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in Abuja to Enugu, Rivers and Kano. Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame said it was all about getting Ekiti sorted, plus those by-elections happening same day in Enugu North, Nasarawa North, Rivers South-East, and the Dawakin Kudu/Warawa and Zuru/Shanga federal constituencies.

The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Kelvin Aneke, called it proof of their commitment to democracy.

On the ground, the numbers are serious. The NSCDC has put 10,000 personnel on duty. The Police have activated their full election framework, with CP Abayomi Shogunle now running the show in Ekiti. According to state PPRO Sunday Abutu, they've mapped flashpoints, they're watching for thuggery, cult-related trouble and fake news, and they've set up a centralised joint operations room with other agencies under ICCES.

Force PRO ACP Anthony Placid was blunt about it: deployment has been done, men hit the ground from Wednesday 17 June, and he won't give a figure, but the brief is simple, free, fair and credible.

Meanwhile, the Court of Appeal has already constituted the Ekiti State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, so the legal side is warming up too.

Why does it matter? Ekiti has 13 parties on the ballot, spread across 177 wards and over 2,000 polling units. Everyone is calling this an early test-run for 2027, so observers, parties and civil society are watching like hawks.

Bottom line: materials are moving today, the Air Force has delivered, police and civil defence are in position, and INEC insists voting will start on time on Saturday. If you're in Ekiti, expect roadblocks, heavy security presence, and a lot of "please cooperate" announcements over the next 48 hours.

Reporting via cbinews.tv

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