Ballot Box, Not Bullet, Will Decide Osun’s Future- INEC Chairman Assures
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, has declared that the ballot box, and not the bullet, will determine the outcome of the forthcoming Osun State Governorship Election, as the Commission moves into its final stretch of preparations ahead of the election.
Prof. Amupitan made the declaration on Wednesday, 29 July 2026, at an Expanded Stakeholders’ Meeting held in Osogbo, warning that the Commission would not allow the will of the electorate to be subverted by violence or intimidation as the state heads to the polls in 17 days.
According to the INEC Chairman, the Commission has concluded a comprehensive readiness audit across all 30 Local Government Areas of the state and is logistically, technologically and operationally prepared to conduct an election that meets the standards of the Electoral Act 2026.
He disclosed that a total of 2,339,233 registered voters are eligible to participate in the election, spread across the 30 Local Government Areas, 332 Registration Areas and 3,763 Polling Units in the state, with 14 political parties fielding candidates.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin O. Babalola, gave a similar breakdown in her welcome address, noting that the state’s voter register had risen from 1,954,800 before the Continuous Voter Registration exercise to 2,339,233 afterward.
On the collection of Permanent Voter’s Cards, Prof. Amupitan said that as at the close of collection on Tuesday, a total of 322,822 voters, representing 60 percent of newly registered voters, had collected their PVCs.
In view of the shortfall, the INEC Chairman announced that the Commission had extended the PVC collection window to Friday, 31 July 2026, to accommodate voters yet to collect their cards, and disclosed that he would meet with security agencies after the stakeholders’ meeting to arrange deployment of patrol vehicles to collection centres.
On technology deployment, Prof. Amupitan said 4,427 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) units, including 1,328 back-up units representing a 15 percent operational reserve, had been customised and deployed for the election.
The INEC Chairman said voting would commence at 8.30 a.m. on election day, noting that Registration Area Centres (RACs) would open on Friday, 14 August 2026 from 12 noon to allow personnel, materials and security agents to be in place ahead of deployment. He added that Electoral Officers whose local governments failed to commence accreditation by 8.30 a.m. would be held accountable.
To test the readiness of its technology, the Commission announced a mock accreditation exercise scheduled for Saturday, 1 August 2026, to be conducted in four Local Government Areas in each of the state’s three senatorial districts. Prof. Amupitan said he would personally supervise the exercise in Osun State and invited stakeholders and the public to observe.
On security, the Chairman said the Commission had integrated an Electoral Risk Management (ERM) framework into its planning, working with the Interagency Consultative Committee on Election Security and partners including the Kimpact Development Initiative Foundation to identify flashpoints and vulnerable locations across the state. He listed Atakunmosa East and West, Boripe, Ede North and South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila and Ifelodun among the areas earmarked for specialised security deployment.
Prof. Amupitan confirmed two separate attacks on INEC facilities within the past week. He said an attack occurred at the Commission’s office in Odo Otin Local Government Area on Saturday, 26 July 2026, resulting in the theft of three batches of uncollected PVCs, while a similar incident occurred at Ife Centre. He assured voters that stolen cards had been rendered unusable without live biometric verification of the legitimate owner on the BVAS, adding that affected voters would be issued reprinted or downloadable PVCs.
The INEC Chairman also announced measures for vulnerable voters, including braille ballot guides for the visually impaired, magnifying glasses for voters with albinism and low vision, and priority queues for persons with disabilities, pregnant women, nursing mothers and the elderly.
On vote buying, Amupitan said the Commission was partnering with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit to tackle the shift from cash-based vote buying to digital financial transfers, adding that plainclothes anti-corruption officers would monitor polling unit perimeters on election day.
He disclosed that a Peace Accord involving the 14 political parties would be signed on Thursday, 30 July 2026, under the auspices of the National Peace Committee and the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC).
In his opening remarks, the Supervising National Commissioner for Osun State, Professor Kunle Ajayi, called on political parties, security agencies, traditional and religious leaders, the media and civil society organisations to collaborate for a peaceful and credible election, warning that vote buying and inflammatory rhetoric would not be tolerated by the Commission.
In her welcome address, Babalola said the Commission had concluded 11 of the 13 activities on its Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the election, with only the conclusion of campaigns by political parties and the conduct of the election itself outstanding.
She said the Official Register of Voters had been presented to political parties sponsoring candidates for the election, and that voter registers for all polling units had been printed in both black-and-white and colour formats for use on election day.
On personnel, the REC said training of ad-hoc staff would run from 31 July to 9 August 2026 at state and Local Government Area levels, with the actual number of eligible ad-hoc staff to be selected from the recruitment portal based on competence, neutrality and professionalism.
Mrs Babalola said all non-sensitive election materials for the election had already arrived in the Local Government Areas and had been sorted and batched for onward distribution to polling units. She added that all RACs across the 30 Local Government Areas had been identified, with materials procured for ad-hoc staff who would camp at the RACs on the eve of the election, noting that the Commission operates both regular RACs and Super RACs.
She further disclosed that sensitive election materials for the election arrived in the state on 27 July 2026 and are being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria, Osogbo.
On media coverage, the REC said accreditation of journalists for the election was ongoing and would close on 2 August 2026. She added that the Commission had held several engagements with transport unions to ensure seamless movement of personnel and materials to RACs, polling units, collation centres and for reverse logistics.
On security, Babalola said security agencies had assured the Commission of adequate protection for a peaceful election, and that an Oath of Loyalty and Neutrality would be administered to all security agents as stipulated under Section 26 of the Electoral Act. She said election security personnel had been trained at both state and senatorial district levels to enhance professionalism and understanding of the electoral process.
The REC called on political parties to educate their supporters, candidates to reject violence, community leaders to preach peace, traditional rulers to promote dialogue, religious leaders to speak against hatred, the media to report responsibly, and civil society organisations to mobilise citizens for peaceful participation, as she reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to transparency, professionalism, neutrality and inclusivity ahead of the election.
The Osun State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, representing the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Tunji Disu, assured residents that the Nigeria Police Force would remain neutral, professional and committed to safeguarding lives, property and the integrity of the 15 August 2026 governorship election.
The Police Commissioner also warned politicians and their supporters against vote-buying and other electoral offences, declaring that anyone caught violating the Electoral Act would be arrested and prosecuted, regardless of political affiliation or social status.
