INEC extends PVC collection period in Osun

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in Osun State till Friday (31 July), after announcing that more than 322,000 newly registered voters have collected their cards ahead of the 15 August governorship election.

INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, announced the extension on Wednesday during the Osun Governorship Election Stakeholders’ Forum in Osogbo, saying the commission is fully prepared to conduct a credible, peaceful and transparent election.

Mr Amupitan said 322,822 newly registered voters, representing about 62 per cent of those who registered during the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, had collected their PVCs.

The commission had earlier announced that about 37.5 per cent of all uncollected PVCs in the state had been picked up during the special distribution exercise, indicating that the latest 62 per cent figure relates specifically to newly registered voters, while the earlier figure covered the broader pool of previously uncollected voter cards.

The INEC chairman urged eligible voters who had yet to collect their PVCs to take advantage of the extension, stressing that the voter card remained the only means of participating in the election.

He also announced that the commission would conduct a mock accreditation exercise on Saturday, 1 August, across selected local government areas to test the functionality of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) before election day.

INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, during the Osun Governorship Election Stakeholders’ Forum in Osogbo. Credit: INEC

Election preparations

Earlier, the Osun Resident Electoral Commissioner, Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the commission had concluded most of its preparations for the election.

According to her, the number of registered voters in the state has increased from 1,954,800 to 2,339,233 following the recent voter registration exercise.

She said all 3,763 BVAS devices required for the election had been configured and fully charged, while 1,328 backup machines had been deployed for emergencies.

Mrs Babalola added that non-sensitive election materials had already been distributed to local government offices, while sensitive materials remained secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo.

She said training for ad hoc staff would hold between 31 July and 9 August, while the commission had also identified potential flashpoints and shared intelligence with security agencies to ensure adequate deployment during the poll.

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Also speaking, the Supervising National Commissioner for Osun State, Kunle Ajayi, described the governorship election as an important test of Nigeria’s democratic process.

He said INEC had invested heavily in election logistics, voter education, technology and personnel training to enhance the credibility of the exercise.

Mr Ajayi warned political parties and their supporters against vote buying, voter intimidation, hate speech and other electoral offences, saying violators would be prosecuted in accordance with the Electoral Act.

He also urged security agencies, civil society organisations and the media to remain professional and impartial throughout the election period.

The 15 August governorship election will see incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke seeking re-election against candidates from 14 political parties, including the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC).