Attack on PVC collection centre won’t derail Osun gov election — INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has stated that an attack on one of its permanent voter card (PVC) collection centers will not prevent it from holding a free, fair, and credible governorship election in Osun state. The commission's Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Dayo Oketola, assured the public that INEC remains focused on its electoral preparations.

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The Osun incident has been reported to the police. As we speak, it is already public knowledge that the police have started an investigation.

Suspected hoodlums reportedly attacked staff and stole electoral materials, including Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices and PVCs, at a center in Okuku on Sunday. Oketola confirmed that the incident has been reported to the police, who have begun an investigation. He expressed confidence in the police's ability to apprehend the perpetrators and recover the stolen assets.

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As a commission, we trust that the police will be diligent in their investigation, track those suspects, get them arrested and ensure they face the wrath of the law.

Despite the attack, Oketola maintained that INEC's operational readiness for the election is unaffected. "INEC cannot be distracted. We will conduct a free and fair election in Osun," he stated, emphasizing that the incident would not derail their plans. The commission has configured 4,427 BVAS devices for the election, with 664 backups available to mitigate any potential issues. He also noted that the theft of PVCs would be futile due to the biometric verification required by BVAS technology, rendering them unusable for fraudulent voting.

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But I know that that cannot distract INEC from carrying out the activities preceding the Osun governorship election.