The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has commenced the distribution of sensitive electoral materials across the 30 local government areas of Osun State ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.

The distribution comes less than 24 hours before voters in the state are expected to go to the polls to elect the next governor.

INEC National Commissioner in charge of the Osun State election, Kunle Ajayi, disclosed the development on Friday, saying the exercise was taking place at the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, office in Osogbo, the state capital.

Ajayi said the commission had begun moving the materials to their designated locations to ensure they were available before the commencement of voting.

Why distribution was delayed

The INEC commissioner attributed the delay in the distribution of the sensitive materials to the late arrival of newly printed ballot papers and other electoral materials from Abuja.

According to him, the materials had to be reproduced following the recent inclusion of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, in the ballot for the election.

The development created the need for the commission to make adjustments to the ballot papers and result sheets before distributing them to the various local government areas.

Ajayi said the commission was working to ensure that the delay did not affect the conduct of the election scheduled for Saturday, August 15, 2026.

The materials being distributed are expected to cover the requirements of polling units across the 30 local government areas of the state.

SDP inclusion changes ballot

The development followed INEC’s decision on Wednesday to include the SDP candidate, Francis Ajala, and his running mate, Faseke Oladipo, in the Osun governorship election.

Their inclusion increased the number of political parties contesting the election to 15.

INEC explained that the decision necessitated the reproduction of the ballot papers to reflect the addition of the SDP candidate.

The commission also ordered the reproduction of the result sheets to ensure that the documents used during the election correspond with the updated list of candidates.

“Consequently, the ballot papers for the election, scheduled to hold on Saturday, 15th August 2026, are being reproduced to reflect this addition, bringing to 15 the total number of political parties contesting the election.

“The result sheets for the election are also being reproduced alongside the ballot papers to reflect the inclusion of the SDP candidate,” INEC said.

Materials being moved across Osun

With the newly printed materials now available, INEC has commenced their distribution from the CBN facility in Osogbo to the various local government areas.

The commission is expected to complete the movement of the materials to their designated locations before voting begins on Saturday.

The distribution of sensitive materials is one of the major stages in INEC’s preparations for the governorship election, with officials expected to ensure that ballot papers, result sheets and other relevant documents are delivered to the appropriate polling locations.

The commission’s latest development comes as political parties and their candidates intensify final preparations for the election.

The Osun governorship poll is expected to be closely contested, with voters across the state set to determine who will lead the state for the next four years.

INEC has repeatedly urged stakeholders, including political parties, candidates, security agencies and voters, to cooperate with officials and ensure a peaceful electoral process.

The commission is also expected to deploy personnel and other election materials alongside the sensitive documents as part of arrangements for Saturday’s exercise.

15 parties to contest election

The inclusion of the SDP has brought the total number of political parties on the ballot to 15.

The commission’s decision to accommodate the party followed the development that led to the reproduction of the election materials.

The move means voters will encounter an updated ballot paper containing the names and symbols of all 15 participating political parties.

INEC’s latest distribution exercise is therefore aimed at ensuring that the revised materials reach all designated locations in time for the election.

As the state prepares for the poll, attention is now shifting to the deployment of personnel and materials, accreditation of voters and the commencement of voting across the state.

The commission is expected to provide further updates on the distribution and deployment of materials as the election approaches.

Voters are scheduled to cast their ballots on Saturday, August 15, in an election that will determine the next governor of Osun State.