(Gorvernor Biodun Oyebanji. Photo by Guardian Nigerian News)
The Ekiti State Government has declared Friday a work-free day for public and civil servants ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.
The announcement was made on Thursday in a statement by the Head of Service, Dr Folakemi Olomojobi, who said Governor Biodun Oyebanji had approved the directive to give workers the opportunity to travel to their respective voting locations ahead of the election scheduled for June 20, 2026.
The government said the move was intended to encourage widespread participation in the electoral process across the state.
The Permanent Secretary, Office of Establishment, Dr Funke Ajibola, who signed the circular, noted that the holiday does not extend to essential service providers, explaining that hospitals, health centres, fire service departments and other critical agencies are exempted and are expected to continue operating normally to ensure uninterrupted service delivery.
She stated that all heads of the exempted institutions were to make appropriate duty arrangements to guarantee continuous service delivery, while Chief Executive Officers and Accounting Officers were directed to ensure compliance with the circular and give it wide publicity within their respective organisations.
The government further urged the affected agencies to ensure proper coordination so that essential public services remain unaffected throughout the holiday period.