…deploys additional BVAS machines as backup for split polling units
By Michael Ofulue, Osogbo
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), has declared that the commission is fully prepared for the August 15, 2026 Osun State governorship election, assuring voters that robust technological, logistical and security measures have been put in place to guarantee a credible, peaceful and transparent poll.
Speaking during an interactive session with media executives at the INEC State Office in Osogbo on Saturday, shortly after monitoring the statewide mock accreditation exercise, Amupitan said the commission had concluded critical preparations and was entering the final phase of its election plan with confidence.
The INEC chairman said the commission deliberately carried out field inspections across selected polling units in the state’s three senatorial districts instead of relying on reports from Abuja.
“We did not want to speak to you from an air-conditioned boardroom in Abuja or rely solely on paperwork. We went to the theatres of operation to see for ourselves how our systems are holding up,” he said.
According to Amupitan, the mock accreditation exercise confirmed that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) is functioning efficiently ahead of the election.
He disclosed that voter accreditation took between 30 seconds and two minutes using fingerprint or facial recognition, while the dual authentication technology significantly reduced cases of failed verification.
To strengthen the process, the commission increased the total number of BVAS devices for the election from 4,427 to 5,130. He explained that the additional machines would serve as backup devices and support split polling units in Ife East, Irewole, Egbedore, Ede North and Osogbo local government areas.
He added that the number of backup BVAS machines had also been increased from 664 to 1,328 to enable immediate replacement of any malfunctioning device on election day.
“What we saw today confirms that our technological defence against identity theft and results manipulation is robust and fully operational,”.
Amupitan disclosed that 2,339,233 registered voters are expected to participate in the election across 3,763 polling units in 320 wards spread across the 30 local government areas of the state.
He added that 14 political parties would participate in the election, while the commission had concluded arrangements for the deployment of trained ad hoc personnel, supported by about 32,000 National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members recruited through the INECPRES portal.
The INEC chairman also assured residents that non-sensitive election materials had already been distributed to local government offices, while the movement of sensitive materials had been carefully scheduled.
He said transport arrangements with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) had been finalised after excluding individuals with political affiliations or pending criminal cases from election logistics.
“Our goal remains the simultaneous opening of all 3,763 polling units by 8:30 a.m. on election day,” he said.
Expressing concern over recent incidents of political violence in parts of Osun State, Amupitan said the commission had strengthened collaboration with security agencies through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).
He disclosed that intelligence-led security operations had been designed for identified flashpoints, including Atakumosa East, Atakumosa West, Boripe, Ede North, Ede South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila, Osogbo, Ifelodun and Oriade Local Government Areas.
According to him, security personnel have received clear directives to remain neutral while preventing cult activities, ballot disruption, political thuggery and other electoral offences.
“We will not allow the democratic will of the people to be subverted by fear or force. Any attempt to disrupt this election will be met with the full weight of the law,” Amupitan warned.
The INEC chairman also addressed concerns over the recent theft of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) from the commission’s offices in Okuku and Ife Central.
He assured the public that the stolen PVCs could not be used to vote because the BVAS requires the live biometric verification of the legitimate owner before accreditation.
He disclosed that the serial numbers of the stolen cards would be permanently blacklisted, while affected voters would either receive reprinted PVCs or be allowed to use downloadable PVCs specially approved for the Osun governorship election.
“Without the live biometric verification of the legitimate cardholder, a stolen PVC is functionally useless,” he said.
On vote buying, Amupitan said INEC had adopted new strategies to combat the menace, noting that the commission was working closely with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) and the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation.
He revealed that plainclothes anti-corruption operatives would monitor polling unit environments to arrest both vote buyers and sellers.
According to him, electoral corruption had increasingly shifted from physical cash exchanges to electronic transfers and account harvesting, necessitating enhanced surveillance.
The INEC chairman reiterated the commission’s commitment to inclusive elections, announcing that assistive devices had been provided for persons with disabilities.
He listed Braille ballot guides, magnifying glasses for voters with albinism and low vision, EC40H posters for hearing-impaired voters and priority voting queues for persons with disabilities, pregnant women, nursing mothers and the elderly.
Amupitan disclosed that INEC had continued consultations with traditional rulers, including the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, and the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Olanipekun Oyetunji, to mobilise residents for peaceful participation in the election.
He added that governorship candidates had signed a Peace Accord facilitated by INEC and the National Peace Committee, committing themselves to violence-free campaigns and elections.
The INEC chairman also called on journalists to avoid spreading misinformation and disinformation during the election period.
He urged media organisations to verify reports before publication and avoid presenting isolated technical glitches as evidence of systemic failure.
“Verify your facts before you broadcast. When a glitch occurs in a single polling unit, do not report it as a systemic failure across the entire state,” he advised.
Amupitan reaffirmed INEC’s neutrality, insisting that the commission had no preferred candidate in the election.
“We do not care who wins the election; we only care how they win. Our responsibility is to ensure that every valid vote counts and that the outcome reflects the true will of the people of Osun State,” he said.
He described the Osun governorship election as an important test of Nigeria’s electoral system ahead of the 2027 general elections and appealed to the media, political parties and other stakeholders to work together in safeguarding the integrity of the democratic process.