Osun Governorship Poll: INEC Assures Stakeholders of Transparent, Credible August 15 Election

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has assured political parties, security agencies, civil society organisations, traditional rulers, election observers and the media that the commission is fully prepared to conduct a free, fair and credible governorship election in Osun State on August 15, 2026.

Speaking at the Osun State Governorship Election Stakeholders’ Forum in Osogbo on Wednesday, Amupitan said INEC had concluded comprehensive readiness audits across its 30 local government offices and was satisfied with its level of preparedness.

He stated that the commission had put in place the necessary logistical, technological and operational arrangements to ensure the election complies fully with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 as well as INEC’s regulations and guidelines.

According to him, the stakeholders’ forum served as an accountability platform where the commission outlined its preparations and reassured the public of its commitment to delivering a transparent electoral process.

Amupitan disclosed that the certified register for the election contains 2,339,233 registered voters spread across 30 local government areas, 332 registration areas and 3,763 polling units. He added that 14 political parties would participate in the governorship contest.

To enable more eligible voters to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), the INEC chairman said the commission extended the PVC collection exercise until Friday, July 31, after 322,822 newly registered voters, representing 62 per cent of registrants, collected their cards before the initial deadline.

He explained that the extension was intended to prevent eligible voters from being disenfranchised, while additional security personnel had been deployed to PVC collection centres. He also noted that the commission used the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) to eliminate multiple and invalid registrations, leaving only verified voters on the register.

Amupitan further revealed that INEC had strengthened its logistics by establishing 97 Super Registration Area Centres and 105 Registration Area Centres to facilitate the early deployment of election materials. He added that agreements with transport unions would be concluded before election day to ensure seamless distribution of sensitive and non-sensitive materials.

He assured voters that accreditation and voting would commence at 8:30 a.m. across polling units on election day.

On technology deployment, the INEC chairman announced that 4,427 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices, including 664 backup units, had been customised specifically for the Osun governorship election.

He reiterated that biometric verification remains the only lawful method of voter accreditation, stressing that manual accreditation would not be permitted. He also confirmed that polling unit results would be uploaded directly to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) to promote transparency.

Addressing security concerns, Amupitan said the commission had incorporated an Electoral Risk Management framework into its election planning and was working closely with the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES). According to him, intelligence-led deployments would be concentrated in identified flashpoints to prevent violence, voter intimidation and disruption of the electoral process.

He also reassured residents following the theft of uncollected PVCs from INEC offices in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas, explaining that the stolen cards could not be used to vote without successful biometric verification. He added that affected PVCs would either be reprinted or replaced with downloadable versions for eligible voters.

On the issue of vote-buying, Amupitan disclosed that INEC was collaborating with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and other relevant agencies to tackle both physical and electronic inducement of voters. He warned that anyone found attempting to compromise the election would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.

Also speaking, the INEC National Commissioner supervising Oyo, Osun, Ogun and Ondo states, Prof. Kunle Ajayi, urged the media and civil society organisations to continue partnering with the commission to ensure a peaceful and successful election.

Ajayi said the introduction of the BVAS and IReV platforms had strengthened the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process by reducing opportunities for manipulation. He appealed to political parties, candidates and their supporters to conduct peaceful campaigns and comply with electoral laws.

He further called on traditional rulers to sustain their efforts in promoting peace and urged media organisations to report the election fairly, professionally and responsibly.

Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Oluwatoyin Babalola, welcomed stakeholders and commended them for their continued support and collaboration with the commission.

She said the stakeholders’ meeting was organised to update participants on INEC’s preparations for the election, disclosing that the training of ad hoc staff would take place between July 31 and August 9 across all local government areas of the state.

Babalola also confirmed that election materials had arrived in Osun State and were securely stored at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), while security agencies had completed arrangements to ensure voters participate in a peaceful, free and credible governorship election.