By Paul Dada

On Saturday, the people of Osun State will go to the polls to elect the person who will be state’s helmsman for another four years.

Below are 10 Important things, Osun voters should know.

1. The election will take place across the state’s30 local government areas and 3,763 polling units

2. More than 2.3 million voters are on the register.
INEC says there are 2,339,233 registered voters. But only about 1.9 million Permanent Voter Cards( PVCs) were collected.

3. There are 13 candidates on the ballot. Although 14 political parties are participating, the contest has largely been viewed as a three-way race involving Governor Ademola Adeleke, APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji and ADC candidate Najeem Salaam.

4. Incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke is seeking re-election. The result will determine whether he remains in Government House, Osogbo, for another four years.

5. The APC is mounting a serious challenge. Bola Oyebamiji, the APC candidate, is seeking to return the party to power in Osun after its defeat in the 2022 governorship election. The contest is therefore significant for both parties.

6. Your PVC is essential for accreditation.Voters should go to their designated polling units with their Permanent Voter Cards. INEC has stressed that the PVC remains the document required for voter accreditation.

7. BVAS will play a central role. Accreditation will involve the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS). But BVAS sometimes has glitches making technical performance one issue voters and observers will be watching closely.

8. Voters should be particularly wary of attempts to buy their votes or influence their choice through money, gifts or other inducements. Vote-buying has already been identified as one of the major threats to the credibility of the election.

9. Voters should prioritise safety.Osun has experienced politically charged and sometimes violent elections in the past. Given the tensions surrounding Saturday’s poll, voters should avoid confrontations, political arguments and restricted areas, and should follow instructions from electoral and security officials.

10. The election matters beyond Osun.The poll is being closely watched as one of Nigeria’s major electoral tests before the  2027 general elections. Its conduct and outcome could influence perceptions of INEC, political parties, electoral technology and voter confidence ahead of 2027.