The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it has concluded all major preparations for the Osun State Governorship Election scheduled for August 15, 2026, assuring stakeholders that it is ready to conduct a free, fair, credible and peaceful poll.
Speaking at the Osun State Governorship Election Stakeholders’ Forum in Osogbo, INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN), said the Commission had completed its logistical, technological and operational arrangements to ensure that the outcome of the election reflects the will of the electorate.
To boost voter participation, Prof. Amupitan announced that the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) had been extended to Friday, July 31, 2026. He said 322,822 newly registered voters, representing 62% of those registered, had already collected their PVCs.
He also disclosed that a mock accreditation exercise would take place on Saturday, August 1, across 12 selected local government areas to test the functionality of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) ahead of the election.
Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Osun State, Mrs. Oluwatoyin O. Babalola, described the stakeholders’ forum as the Commission’s final engagement before the election and outlined the level of preparedness.
According to her, the number of registered voters in the state has increased from 1,954,800 to 2,339,233. She added that all 3,763 BVAS devices required for the election had been configured and fully charged, while 1,328 backup machines had been set aside for emergencies.
Mrs. Babalola further stated that non-sensitive election materials had already been distributed to all local government areas, while sensitive materials remained secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in Osogbo. She said the training of ad hoc staff would be conducted between July 31 and August 9.
Also speaking, the Supervising National Commissioner for Osun State, Prof. Kunle Ajayi, described the governorship election as an important test of Nigeria’s democratic process. He said INEC had invested significantly in election logistics, voter education, personnel training and technology to improve transparency and credibility.
Prof. Ajayi warned political parties and their supporters against vote buying, voter intimidation and inflammatory rhetoric, stressing that anyone found violating the Electoral Act would face legal consequences. He also urged security agencies, the media and civil society organisations to remain professional and impartial throughout the electoral process.
During the interactive session, stakeholders raised concerns over election logistics, security arrangements, BVAS deployment, PVC collection and voter accreditation. Responding, Prof. Amupitan assured participants that the Commission had put adequate measures in place to guarantee a peaceful, transparent and credible election.
Following the stakeholders’ forum, the INEC Chairman, accompanied by National Commissioners, members of the Commission’s management team and other senior officials, held a meeting with members of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) to review security arrangements ahead of the August 15 governorship poll.
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