The Independent National Electoral Commission has reaffirmed its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and peaceful Osun State governorship election scheduled for August 15, 2026.
Speaking at the Osun Governorship Election Stakeholders’ Forum in Osogbo, INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, said the commission had concluded its major logistical, technological and operational preparations for the election.
Amupitan also announced an extension of the Permanent Voter Card collection exercise to Friday, July 31, 2026, to enable more eligible voters collect their cards ahead of the poll.
According to him, 322,822 newly registered voters, representing 62 per cent of those registered, have so far collected their PVCs.
He further disclosed that a mock accreditation exercise would be conducted on Saturday, August 1, in 12 selected Local Government Areas to test the functionality of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System ahead of election day.
Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the stakeholders’ meeting represented the commission’s final engagement with key stakeholders before the election.
Babalola revealed that the number of registered voters in the state had risen 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 additional machines had been provided as backups.
The REC said non-sensitive election materials had already been distributed to the Local Government Areas, while sensitive materials were secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo.
She also disclosed that the training of ad hoc election personnel would take place between July 31 and August 9.
The Supervising National Commissioner for Osun State, Prof. Kunle Ajayi, described the election as an important test of Nigeria’s democratic credentials.
Ajayi said INEC had invested significantly in logistics, voter education, personnel training and technology to strengthen the transparency and credibility of the electoral process.
He warned political parties and their supporters against inflammatory statements, voter intimidation and vote buying, stressing that anyone found violating the Electoral Act would face the full weight of the law.
The national commissioner also urged security agencies, the media and civil society organisations to maintain professionalism and impartiality in supporting the electoral process.
