INEC extends PVC collection, says violence won’t decide Osun poll

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for collecting Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for the August 15 Osun State governorship election to July 31. INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, assured residents that the election's outcome would be decided by votes, not violence, during a stakeholders' meeting in Osogbo. The commission stated it has completed a comprehensive readiness audit and is fully prepared to conduct a credible election.

INEC reported that 2,339,233 registered voters are eligible to participate across the state's 30 local government areas, 332 registration areas, and 3,763 polling units, with 14 political parties fielding candidates. "The ballot box, and not the bullet, will determine the outcome of the forthcoming Osun State governorship election, as INEC will not allow the will of the electorate to be subverted by violence or intimidation," the commission stated. As of Tuesday, 322,822 voters, representing 60 percent of newly registered voters, had collected their PVCs, prompting the extension.

To bolster security at collection centers, Amupitan announced plans to meet with security agencies to facilitate the deployment of patrol vehicles. Regarding election technology, INEC has customized and deployed 4,427 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines, including 1,328 backup units, representing a 15 percent operational reserve. Voting is set to commence at 8:30 a.m. on election day, with Registration Area Centres opening at noon on August 14 for the deployment of personnel, materials, and security operatives. Electoral Officers will be held accountable if accreditation does not begin by 8:30 a.m. in their local government areas.

A mock accreditation exercise is scheduled for August 1 in four local government areas, one from each senatorial district, to test the commission's preparedness. INEC has integrated an Electoral Risk Management framework into its planning in collaboration with the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security and development partners to identify areas requiring enhanced security. Amupitan confirmed recent attacks on two INEC facilities where uncollected PVCs were stolen, but assured voters that stolen cards cannot be used without live biometric verification via BVAS. Affected voters will receive reprinted or downloadable PVCs.

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The ballot box, and not the bullet, will determine the outcome of the forthcoming Osun State governorship election, as INEC will not allow the will of the electorate to be subverted by violence or intimidation.