By: Goodluck E.Adubazi.
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has assured Nigerians that the outcome of the forthcoming Osun State governorship election will be determined by votes cast at the ballot box and not by violence, as the Commission intensified preparations ahead of the August 15 poll.
Speaking on Wednesday at an Expanded Stakeholders’ Meeting in Osogbo, Amupitan declared that INEC would not allow intimidation, violence or any attempt to undermine the will of the electorate, stressing that the Commission was fully prepared to conduct a free, fair and credible election.
According to him, INEC has completed a comprehensive readiness audit across all 30 local government areas of the state and is operationally, technologically and logistically equipped to conduct the election in line with the Electoral Act 2026.
The INEC Chairman disclosed that 2,339,233 registered voters are eligible to participate in the election across 332 registration areas and 3,763 polling units, while 14 political parties have fielded candidates.
To boost voter participation, Amupitan announced the extension of the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) until Friday, July 31, following the collection of only 322,822 cards, representing 60 per cent of newly registered voters. He said additional security measures, including patrol vehicles, would be deployed to PVC collection centres to ensure the safety of voters.
On election technology, the INEC Chairman revealed that 4,427 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines, including 1,328 backup units, had been customised and deployed for the exercise.
He announced 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 election personnel and materials. Electoral Officers who fail to commence accreditation on schedule, he warned, would be held accountable.
As part of preparations, INEC will conduct a mock accreditation exercise on August 1 in selected local government areas across the state’s three senatorial districts to test the functionality of the BVAS, with Amupitan pledging to personally supervise the exercise.
The Commission also disclosed that it had activated an Electoral Risk Management framework in collaboration with security agencies and development partners to identify flashpoints across the state, with special security deployments planned for identified high-risk local government areas.
Amupitan confirmed recent attacks on INEC offices in Odo Otin and Ife Centre, during which some uncollected PVCs were stolen. He, however, assured voters that the stolen cards had been rendered useless because they could not be used without biometric verification through the BVAS. Affected voters, he added, would receive reprinted or downloadable PVCs.
To promote inclusive participation, INEC said visually impaired voters would have access to Braille ballot guides, while magnifying glasses would be provided for persons with albinism and voters with low vision. Priority voting arrangements would also be made for persons with disabilities, pregnant women, nursing mothers and the elderly.
The Commission further announced a renewed collaboration with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit to curb vote-buying, particularly the growing use of digital financial transfers. Plainclothes anti-corruption operatives, he said, would monitor polling unit environments on election day.
Amupitan also announced that the 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.
Earlier, the Supervising National Commissioner for Osun State, Prof. Kunle Ajayi, appealed to political parties, security agencies, traditional rulers, religious leaders, the media and civil society organisations to work together to ensure a peaceful and credible election, warning against vote-buying and inflammatory political rhetoric.
In her address, the Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs. Oluwatoyin O. Babalola, disclosed that INEC had successfully completed 11 of the 13 activities on its election timetable, with only the conclusion of political campaigns and the conduct of the election remaining.
She said voter registers had been distributed to political parties, while non-sensitive election materials had already been delivered to all local government areas and sorted for deployment. Sensitive materials, she added, arrived in Osun on July 27 and are being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo.
Babalola further announced that training for ad hoc staff would hold from July 31 to August 9, while accreditation for journalists covering the election would close on August 2. She added that transport arrangements and Registration Area Centres had been fully prepared to ensure smooth deployment of personnel and materials.
She reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to transparency, neutrality and professionalism and urged political parties, candidates, community leaders, traditional rulers, religious organisations, the media and civil society groups to promote peaceful participation throughout the electoral process.
Also speaking, the Osun State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, representing the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, assured residents that the Nigeria Police Force would remain neutral and professional during 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 regardless of political affiliation or status.
