LIVE CHECKS: Ekiti Governorship Election—Saturday, June 20, 2026

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Nigerian Fact-checkers' Coalition

Residents of Ekiti State across 16 Local Government Areas (LGAs) head to the polls today, June 20, 2026, to decide their next governor. 

As the election is held, DUBAWA and its partners under the Nigerian Fact-Checkers’ Coalition (NCF) will monitor the information space and provide a verdict with accurate context for claims made. This will insulate the general public from mis- and disinformation.

CLAIM: An X user shared a video claiming unrest in Isan-Ekiti after a man was shot dead ahead of the election.

FINDINGS:

Abayomi Shogunle, Ekiti State Commissioner of Police, confirmed there was unrest on the eve of the election. He claimed it was the result of a football match in the community, not election-related. Observers deployed by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) confirmed that a bus which conveyed police officers from Abuja to Ekiti, two tippers, and the police station were burnt down. While there was unrest, Police and other sources said that it was unrelated to the election.

VERDICT:  Partly CORRECT 

SOURCE: Ekiti State Police and CJID Election Observers.

DATE: June 20, 2026.

FACT CHECK AUTHOR: Sunday Awosoro

EDITORS: Kemi Busari  and Simbiat Bakare

Claim 2

CLAIM: A Facebook user shares a picture as evidence of massive voter turnout in Ado-Ekiti.

FINDINGS

Manual examination of the image reveals characteristics consistent with AI-generated images. We analysed the image using multiple AI detection tools, such as AI or Not and Deep AI. The results show that the images were 99% and 97% AI-generated, respectively. Also, we used Google Reverse Image Search on the image, but we found no source for it. 

VERDICT: INCORRECT

SOURCES: AI or Not and DeepAI

DATE: June 20, 2026.

FACT CHECK AUTHOR: Lademi Aborisade

EDITORS: Opeyemi Kehinde, Kemi Busari and Simbiat Bakare

CLAIM 3

CLAIM: An X user claimed  (archived here) that the All Progressive Congress (APC) is not involved in financial inducement or vote buying in the Ekiti State 2026 gubernatorial election.

​FINDINGS: 

The claim is contradicted by field reports and media coverage from the election. A video published by Sahara Reporters captured a resident confirming that votes were indeed being sold at a polling unit. Additionally, Punch Newspaper reported that allegations of vote buying involving APC supporters led to a violent clash with supporters of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), resulting in an injury. A resident contacted by the Nigerian Fact-checkers Coalition also confirmed witnessing vote-buying activities.

VERDICT: INCORRECT

​SOURCES: Sahara Reporters and Punch Newspaper.

​DATE: June 20, 2026.

FACT CHECK  AUTHOR: Zainab Abdulrasaq

EDITORS: Opeyemi Kehinde and Simbiat Bakare

CLAIM 4

CLAIM: An X user, @DaddyTwinzz, posted photos of a branded sachet of alcohol, claiming it is being used to buy votes in the ongoing Ekiti state election.

FINDINGS: Closer inspection of the photo and a Google Reverse Image Search revealed that the branded sachet gin was used as a campaign material by Hon Adewale Olatunji during the 2025 Ibadan North By-Elections. 

There is no link between the sachet alcohol and the ongoing Ekiti state elections.

VERDICT: Misleading

Sources: Google Reverse Image Search, InsideOyo

DATE: June 20, 2026

FACT CHECK AUTHOR: Rebecca Ogungbure

EDITORS: Kemi Busari and Simbiat Bakare