The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced the distribution of sensitive election materials from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in Ekiti state ahead of the governorship election and a series of senatorial and House of Representatives by-elections scheduled for Saturday, June 20, 2026.

INEC officials were on Thursday at the Central Bank office in Ado-Ekiti sorting and dispatching sensitive materials to the state’s 16 local government areas.
The venue was bustling with activity as election officials coordinated logistics, while security personnel were deployed to ensure the safe movement of materials.

Ekiti State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Bunmi Omoseyindemi, described the process as smooth and well-organised, assuring stakeholders that all materials would reach their destinations on schedule.
Meanwhile, INEC disclosed that the number of registered voters in Ekiti State increased from 987,647 in 2023 to 1,059,360 in 2026.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, said the number of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) collected also rose from 958,052 in 2023 to 1,028,929 in 2026.

According to the commission, the figure represents a PVC collection rate of 97 per cent and covers 97.1 per cent of registered voters in Ekiti State.

INEC announced the statistics after successfully concluding the PVC collection exercise ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.
The exercise, initially scheduled to end on June 11, 2026, was extended to June 14 following consultations with stakeholders at a meeting held in Ado-Ekiti.

The commission also provided an update on applications for replacement PVCs in line with Section 18(1) of the Electoral Act 2026, which allows registered voters to replace lost, damaged or defaced voter cards.
INEC said it received 14,406 applications for replacement PVCs within the stipulated period and successfully printed all the cards, most of which have already been collected by their owners.

However, the commission noted that the planned option of providing downloadable copies of lost, damaged or defaced voter cards could not be implemented for the Ekiti election because the required technology infrastructure is yet to be fully deployed.

“The option will be available to voters in future elections, particularly the Osun State Governorship Election in August 2026 and the 2027 General Election,” the statement said.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has ordered an immediate evacuation of waste from the streets across the state following the recent noticiable build-up of refuse in parts of the state.

According to the directive, key environmental agencies, including the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), and the Ministry of Environment, will be mobilised to intensify sanitation efforts across affected communities.

According to the governor, additional waste collection trucks and personnel have been deployed, with sanitation workers operating round the clock to restore cleanliness and normalise conditions.

Sanwo-Olu disclosed the development in a post on X, noting that Lagos generates more than 13,000 tonnes of waste daily, a volume that demands sustained coordination and continuous intervention to maintain environmental standards.

“Dear Lagosians, I have directed an immediate scale-up of waste evacuation across Lagos following the recent build-up of refuse in some parts of our state,” he wrote.

“LAWMA, LASEPA, and the Ministry of Environment are currently working around the clock. We have deployed extra trucks and personnel to clear the backlogs across all affected neighbourhoods. You should already see progress on the streets, and we will not stop until our city is completely clean again.

“As we continue this cleanup, I ask for your partnership. Please bag your waste properly and avoid dumping refuse in drainage channels or on the roads,” he added.

The governor assured residents that the government is fully committed to resolving the situation and maintaining environmental safety across the state.

The presidents of United States and Iran have signed a 14-point document deal aimed at ending the Middle East war, with a ceremony set for Friday in Switzerland that will mark the start of a 60-day negotiation period.

The memorandum of understanding aims to put an end to months of conflict initiated by US-Israeli strikes on Iran in February, which wreaked chaos across the region and rattled the global economy.

Following the signing of the agreement, oil prices fell more than two percent on Thursday, extending the losses sustained since news of the deal broke at the weekend.

International benchmark Brent North Sea crude was down 2.1 percent to $77.87 a barrel as of 0525 GMT.

US President Donald Trump signed the memorandum of understanding on Wednesday after he attended the G7 summit in France, during a candlelit dinner at the Palace of Versailles, according to a video posted by a Trump aide.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei, quoted by the state news agency IRNA, said the document “was finalised with the signatures of the presidents”.

Iran’s chief negotiator and parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said the deal represented a US “failure”.

The memorandum “shall enter into force with immediate effect and as a first step, Islamic Republic of Iran will instantly reopen the Strait of Hormuz and the United States of America will immediately lift the naval blockade”, Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote on X.

Sharif also confirmed that Pakistan, with Qatari support, would host a ceremony in Switzerland on Friday to “commemorate this landmark event and commence with the technical level talks”.

Tehran reiterated its plans to charge ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz after the 60-day period stipulated in the document had elapsed.

Iran’s chief negotiator Ghalibaf said in an interview aired on state television that the “Strait of Hormuz will not return to pre-war conditions”, adding: “Iran has the right to sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz and of course we will receive a fee for services.”

The document says Tehran has agreed to dilute its enriched uranium stockpile under UN supervision, which one US official described as a “major, major win”.

Iran has repeatedly insisted that nuclear issues would only be discussed in subsequent talks after the initial deal is signed.

The agreement allows Tehran to resume oil sales, while all sanctions will be lifted if a final deal is reached after the 60-day negotiation period.

Iran could also get access to a $300 billion reconstruction fund, though officials said Washington was under no commitment to contribute.

Trump warned Iran on Wednesday that he was ready to resume military action if Tehran did not abide by its obligations.

“If they don’t behave, we’ll go right back to dropping bombs right smack in the middle of their head,” Trump said at the G7 summit.

The Israeli military announced on Thursday that one of its soldiers had been killed in fighting in southern Lebanon the day before, in an incident that also wounded seven soldiers.

The US-Iran deal is supposed to halt the war on all fronts, including in Lebanon.

Nonetheless, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israeli forces would remain in Lebanon, where they are fighting Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah.

Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem has called the deal a “great victory” and has urged Lebanon to seize the moment to expel Israeli forces.