The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured eligible voters in Osun state that the August 15 2026, governorship election will be inclusive, peaceful, credible, free, fair, and transparent, while urging them to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) before the August 7 deadline.
This was disclosed by the Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs Olutoyin Babalola, while speaking at the Osun Decided Citizens’ Townhall Meeting, organised by the Civil Society Network on Election Integrity, with support from the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN).
While responding to questions posed by citizens, Mrs Babalola, shared that the Commission has made provision to ensure persons with disabilities are not excluded in the voting process.
She explained that “We have engaged with leaders of different disability clusters, and recently, we gave out braille ballot guide, notice of election in braille and information on election in braille to leaders of the disability community in the state.”
She also confirmed that there are “magnifying glasses in sufficient quantity in areas where they are needed, especially for persons with albinism.”
The REC also noted that all INEC adhoc staff will be trained on priority voting for PWDs, assuring that personal assistants or aides accompanying voters with disabilities will be granted opportunities to guide PWDs who require such during the elections.
She encouraged all persons with disabilities in the state to come out en masse to exercise their franchise and not to assume that the process will not be inclusive.
Mrs. Babalola also urged all registered voters who are yet to collect their PVCs to do so before the August 7 deadline, stressing that only voters with valid PVCs would be eligible to participate in the August 15 governorship election. She said INEC has continued PVC distribution across designated centres to enable every eligible voter to exercise their civic right.
DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Osun State Police Command, during the townhall meeting, shared that the police has been working tirelessly to ensure the election is peaceful.
As part of measures being put in place, Ojelabi mentioned that there was a recent pre-deployment of personnel to Osun State and that the IGP has directed DPOs and Area Commanders to meet with relevant stakeholders at the grassroots to work together to ensure a peaceful election.
Speaking about the election security threat and flashpoints identified by some CSOs, Ojelabi said, “we have put strategies in place to address this, and we have done our assessments after that. I am sure CSOs can confirm that those locations with high risk have been reduced to medium or low-risk areas. Those areas with medium risk assessment have been reduced to low-risk while some areas with low-risk have been reduced to no-risk.”
Ojelabi, however, noted that new developments emerge every day, but the police is changing its modus operandi as events unfold. “A new strategy will be put in place to forestall all these happenings,” he added.
The DSP who confirmed the stealing of PVCs by some hoodlums in Odo Otin Ward 2, said no arrest has been made but they are working together with eyewitnesses and INEC to address the issue.
Lanre Arogundade, Executive Director of the International Press Centre (IPC), and moderator of the townhall meeting, noted that “we all have a responsibility to ensure the electoral process is inclusive, peaceful and transparent.”
He added that the Osun elections will serve as a marker for what would happen in the 2027 general elections.
