Osun poll: INEC says security personnel will take neutrality oath

In preparation for the August 15 governorship election in Osun State, Nigeria, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that all security personnel on duty will be required to take an oath of neutrality. This measure aims to ensure a fair and impartial electoral process.

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We need to also note that all security personnel are going to subscribe to the oath of neutrality.

INEC's Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Oluwatoyin Babalola, detailed the commission's preparations, emphasizing the importance of security in elections. She stated that training sessions are scheduled for security personnel from July 13 to 15 at the state level and July 17 to 19 at the senatorial district level. Further training for Supervisory Presiding Officers will occur from July 31 to August 2, with Presiding Officers and Assistant Presiding Officers trained on August 9.

Babalola confirmed that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) will be deployed across all 3,763 polling units in the state. An additional 664 BVAS devices will be kept in reserve as backups. The BVAS will be used not only for voter accreditation but also to upload polling unit results directly to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), enhancing transparency. The devices are currently being charged and await configuration.

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A total of 3,763 BVAS will be deployed for the election. Additional 664 BVAS will also set aside as backups.

The REC also highlighted the importance of collaboration with stakeholders, particularly the media, to ensure the election's success. Voters in Osun will choose their governor from a field including the incumbent Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress, Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress, and 11 other candidates.

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All the BVAS devices are already charged awaiting configuration which shall be carried out close to election.