INEC ASSURES OSUN VOTERS OF CREDIBLE POLL, EXTENDS PVC COLLECTION, VOWS BALLOT WILL DEFEAT BULLETS
By Aishat Momoh
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured Nigerians that the outcome of the forthcoming Osun State governorship election will be determined by the ballot box and not by violence, declaring that the Commission is fully prepared to conduct a free, fair and credible poll.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, gave the assurance on Wednesday at an Expanded Stakeholders' Meeting in Osogbo, saying the Commission had concluded a comprehensive readiness assessment across the state's 30 Local Government Areas ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
Declaring that no act of intimidation would be allowed to undermine the democratic process, Amupitan said INEC had put in place robust operational, technological and security measures to guarantee a transparent election in line with the Electoral Act 2026.
"The ballot box, not the bullet, will determine the future of Osun State," the INEC Chairman declared, urging political actors and their supporters to embrace peace and allow voters to freely choose their next governor.
To enable more eligible voters to participate in the election, Amupitan announced the extension of the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to Friday, July 31, 2026.
He disclosed that 322,822 newly registered voters, representing about 60 per cent of eligible registrants, had collected their PVCs as of the close of collection on Tuesday, prompting the Commission to extend the exercise.
The INEC Chairman also revealed that he would meet with security agencies to facilitate the deployment of patrol vehicles to PVC collection centres in order to enhance security and encourage voter turnout.
According to him, 2,339,233 registered voters are expected to participate in the election across 30 Local Government Areas, 332 Registration Areas and 3,763 polling units, while 14 political parties have fielded candidates for the contest.
On election logistics, Amupitan disclosed that 4,427 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines, including 15 per cent reserved as backup, had been customised and deployed for the exercise.
He added that voting would commence at 8:30 a.m. on election day, while Registration Area Centres (RACs) would open from noon on August 14 to facilitate the deployment of personnel, election materials and security operatives.
To further demonstrate the Commission's readiness, INEC announced a mock accreditation exercise scheduled for August 1 across selected Local Government Areas in the state's three senatorial districts.
The Commission also unveiled an Electoral Risk Management framework developed in collaboration with the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security and development partners to identify potential flashpoints and strengthen security deployment in vulnerable areas, including Atakunmosa East and West, Boripe, Ede North and South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila and Ifelodun Local Government Areas.
Despite recent attacks on two INEC offices in Odo Otin and Ife Centre, where batches of uncollected PVCs were stolen, the Chairman assured voters that the stolen cards could not be used to vote because accreditation requires live biometric verification through the BVAS.
He added that affected voters would receive either reprinted or downloadable PVCs before the election.
Amupitan also announced special arrangements for vulnerable voters, including the provision of braille ballot guides for visually impaired voters, magnifying glasses for persons with low vision and albinism, as well as priority voting for persons with disabilities, pregnant women, nursing mothers and the elderly.
On efforts to curb vote-buying, the INEC Chairman said the Commission was working closely with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) to monitor both cash and electronic financial transactions linked to electoral malpractice.
He disclosed that undercover anti-corruption operatives would be deployed around polling units to monitor and prevent vote-buying during the election.
Amupitan further announced that all 14 political parties participating in the election would sign a Peace Accord on Thursday under the auspices of the National Peace Committee and the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC).
Earlier, the Supervising National Commissioner for Osun State, Prof. Kunle Ajayi, called on political parties, security agencies, traditional rulers, religious leaders, civil society organisations and the media to work collectively towards ensuring a peaceful election.
He warned political actors against inflammatory rhetoric and vote-buying, stressing that the Commission would not tolerate any act capable of undermining the integrity of the electoral process.
In her welcome address, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs. Oluwatoyin O. Babalola, disclosed that the state's voter register increased from 1,954,800 before the Continuous Voter Registration exercise to 2,339,233 registered voters after the exercise.
She said INEC had successfully completed 11 of the 13 activities outlined in its timetable for the election, with only the end of political campaigns and the conduct of the election remaining.
According to the REC, voter registers have already been distributed to political parties, while all non-sensitive election materials have been delivered to the 30 Local Government Areas, sorted and prepared for deployment.
She added that sensitive election materials arrived in Osun State on July 27 and are currently secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo.
Babalola further disclosed that training of ad hoc staff would hold between July 31 and August 9, while accreditation of journalists covering the election would close on August 2.
She said security agencies had assured the Commission of adequate protection for the election, noting that all security personnel deployed for election duty would take an Oath of Loyalty and Neutrality as required under the Electoral Act.
Calling on political parties, candidates, community leaders, religious organisations, the media and civil society groups to promote peace before, during and after the election, the REC reaffirmed INEC's commitment to conducting a transparent, inclusive and credible governorship poll.
Also speaking, the Osun State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, who represented the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Tunji Disu, assured residents that the Nigeria Police Force would remain impartial throughout the election.
He warned politicians and their supporters against vote-buying and other electoral offences, stressing that anyone found violating the Electoral Act would be arrested and prosecuted irrespective of political affiliation or status.
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