Osun guber: INEC declares readiness, extends PVC collection deadline

By Precious Mark

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared its full readiness to conduct the Osun State governorship election scheduled for August 15, 2026, assuring voters that all major operational and technological arrangements are now complete.

To boost voter participation, the commission also announced a two-day extension of the Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection exercise, pushing the deadline to Friday, July 31, 2026.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, made the announcement on Wednesday during the Osun State Governorship Election Stakeholders’ Forum held in Osogbo, the state capital.

Prof. Amupitan disclosed that 322,822 newly registered voters, representing 62% of the total; have already picked up their cards.

He further revealed that a mock accreditation exercise will take place on Saturday, August 1, across 12 selected local government areas to test the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines under real-world conditions ahead of poll day.

Giving a breakdown of state-level preparations, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Osun State, Mrs. Oluwatoyin O. Babalola, noted that the state’s voter register has grown from 1.95 million to over 2.33 million.

Mrs. Babalola confirmed that all 3,763 BVAS devices needed for polling units have been fully configured and charged, alongside 1,328 backup units reserved for emergency replacements.

She added that non-sensitive materials have already been moved to local government offices, while sensitive materials remain secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) branch in Osogbo. Training for ad hoc staff will run from July 31 through August 9.

Also speaking, the Supervising National Commissioner for Osun State, Prof. Kunle Ajayi, described the upcoming election as a vital test for the country’s democratic growth.

He cautioned political parties against vote-buying, political violence, and incendiary statements, warning that offenders will face prosecution under the Electoral Act.

Following the stakeholders’ forum, Prof. Amupitan led national commissioners and top management staff into a closed-door security meeting with the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) to finalize deployment strategies for poll workers and voters.