The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it has concluded critical preparations for the August 15, 2026, governorship election in Osun State and has extended the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to July 31 to allow more eligible voters to obtain their cards.
The announcement was made by INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan during the Osun State Governorship Election Stakeholders’ Forum held in Osogbo.
According to the commission, logistical, technological and operational arrangements for the election have been completed. Amupitan said the extension of the PVC collection exercise is intended to boost voter participation, noting that 322,822 newly registered voters, representing 62 per cent of those registered, had collected their PVCs as of the latest update.
The INEC chairman also announced that a mock accreditation exercise using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) will be conducted on August 1 across 12 selected local government areas to test the functionality of the technology ahead of election day.
Speaking at the forum, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin O. Babalola, said the stakeholders’ meeting marked the commission’s final engagement with stakeholders before the poll.
She disclosed that the number of registered voters in the state had increased from 1,954,800 to 2,339,233 following the latest voter registration exercise.
Babalola added that all 3,763 BVAS devices required for the election had been configured and fully charged, while 1,328 backup devices had been prepared to address any technical contingencies. She said non-sensitive election materials had already been distributed to local government areas, while sensitive materials were being kept at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo.
The REC further stated that the training of ad hoc election officials is scheduled to take place between July 31 and August 9 ahead of the governorship poll.
Also addressing participants at the forum, INEC’s Supervising National Commissioner for Osun State, Prof. Kunle Ajayi, described the election as an important test of Nigeria’s democratic process. He urged political parties to avoid inflammatory rhetoric, vote buying and voter intimidation, warning that violations of the Electoral Act would attract legal sanctions.
Ajayi also called on security agencies, the media and civil society organisations to carry out their responsibilities professionally and impartially to support a credible electoral process.
