INEC Maps Out Osun's 2027 Electoral Journey

 

No Delays at Polling Units, No Excuses for Electoral Compromise

Commission identifies voter sensitisation, electoral integrity and logistics as priorities ahead of general elections

Oriontimes Newsroom| November 9, 2026

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Osun State, has assured residents of its commitment to delivering a credible, transparent and inclusive 2027 General Election, disclosing that it has 1,328 additional Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices available as backup to strengthen its electoral operations.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola, gave the assurance on Monday, November 9, 2026, during a press briefing with journalists at the INEC Osun State office. The briefing provided an opportunity for the Commission to outline its level of preparedness, ongoing electoral activities and strategic priorities ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Babalola said the Commission had successfully completed nine out of the 14 major activities outlined in the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 General Election, expressing confidence in its institutional capacity to deliver an election that reflects the will of the electorate.

2026 Governorship Election: INEC Highlights Operational Improvements

Reflecting on the August 15, 2026 Osun Governorship Election, the REC described the exercise as a significant milestone in the Commission's commitment to credible electoral administration.

According to the presentation, 1,010,684 voters participated in the election out of 2,339,233 registered voters, representing a turnout of 43.2 per cent.

The Commission attributed the performance to improved planning, early deployment of non-sensitive materials, effective coordination, adequate security arrangements and continuous engagement with relevant stakeholders.

INEC further disclosed that accreditation and result uploads through BVAS were reported to have operated seamlessly across the state's 3,763 polling units, while the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) recorded 87 per cent result uploads as of 4:30 p.m. on election day.

The Commission also highlighted the activation of 98 Super Registration Area Centres (Super RACs) and 97 Registration Area Centres (RACs), which facilitated the early deployment of electoral personnel and materials.

1,328 Backup BVAS Devices to Strengthen Electoral Operations

In a significant disclosure on its technological preparedness, INEC revealed that Osun State currently has 5,763 functional BVAS devices for the 2027 General Election.

Of this number, devices will be deployed across the state's 3,763 polling units and 38 split polling units, while 1,328 additional devices have been reserved as backups.

The Commission explained that BVAS would serve its dual purpose of accrediting voters and uploading polling-unit results directly to the IReV portal.

It also disclosed that the devices would undergo configuration and quality assurance ahead of election day, while Registration Area Technical Support Staff (RATECHs) would be deployed to provide technical assistance.

The availability of backup devices is expected to strengthen operational resilience and provide an additional layer of support in the event of technical challenges during the electoral process.

'INEC Does Not Buy Votes': Commission Emphasises Voter Sensitisation

Beyond technological preparedness, the Commission identified voter education and public sensitisation as critical areas requiring sustained attention ahead of the general elections.

Speaking during the briefing, Mrs OluwaToyin Babalola stressed that although INEC had made considerable progress in the conduct of elections, greater attention must now be directed towards educating voters on their civic responsibilities.

He maintained that the responsibility for electoral integrity should not rest solely on the electoral umpire, arguing that voters must also understand the consequences of selling their votes.

"INEC does not buy, we don't sell votes. When there's no seller, there cannot be a buyer," Ayodele stated.

She further argued that voters who collect money in exchange for their votes weaken their ability to demand accountability from elected officials.

Her remarks reinforced the Commission's position that credible elections require not only efficient electoral administration but also an electorate that understands the value of its franchise.

INEC Promises Early Arrival at Polling Units

The commission also reiterated the its commitment to improving election-day logistics and ensuring that voters are not subjected to unnecessary delays.

It barred that the people of Osun State would not have to wait for electoral officials before exercising their franchise.

According to him, the Commission would make deliberate efforts to ensure that its personnel and materials arrive at polling units ahead of voters.

The assurance comes against the backdrop of the Commission's performance during the August 2026 governorship election, when its presentation indicated that 3,556 out of 3,763 polling units, representing 94.5 per cent, opened between 6:00 a.m. and 8:30 a.m.

The remaining 207 polling units, representing 5.5 per cent, opened between 8:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m.

PVC Collection: 18.26 Per Cent Still Uncollected

INEC also disclosed that PVC collection in Osun State stood at 81.74 per cent, leaving 18.26 per cent of the registered electorate yet to collect their Permanent Voter Cards.

The Commission reported that before the August 15 governorship election, 1,903,390 PVCs had been collected, representing 81.5 per cent, while 427,216 remained uncollected.

Following the resumption of collection at the Registration Area and Local Government levels between October 9 and November 3, 2026, an additional 7,547 collection-related transactions were recorded.

These comprised 287 old PVCs, 5,082 new PVCs, 1,840 transfers and 338 replacements.

INEC said PVC collection was still ongoing at the Local Government Area offices, urging eligible voters to take advantage of the opportunity.

Recruitment, Security and Logistics Preparations Intensified

On operational preparedness, the Commission disclosed that its recruitment portal for election officials opened on September 18, 2026, and would close on November 18, 2026.

INEC identified competence, neutrality, integrity and professionalism as the guiding considerations for recruiting ad-hoc personnel.

The Commission also reported that training programmes had been conducted for electoral personnel in areas including result verification, logistics, electoral risk management and operational monitoring.

As part of its security arrangements, ground-truthing exercises were ongoing across the state's 30 Local Government Areas to identify security threats, difficult terrains and potential electoral flashpoints.

The Commission further disclosed that sensitive and non-sensitive election materials had been identified, with some non-sensitive materials already received and preparations underway for the delivery of sensitive materials during the week of the election.

Media Accreditation Opens Ahead of 2027 Elections

The REC also called on media organisations in Osun State to register for accreditation ahead of the 2027 General Election.

According to the presentation, the dedicated media accreditation portal was activated on October 30, 2026, and would close on December 1, 2026.

Media organisations were directed to visit https://imap.inecnigeria.org to complete their registration.

Babalola commended journalists and media organisations for their contributions to the peaceful conduct of the August governorship election, urging them to maintain professionalism, factual reporting and responsible political communication.

She also cautioned against the dissemination of unverified information capable of undermining public confidence or threatening the peace of the state.

The Bigger Electoral Question: Preparedness Must Translate into Public Confidence

While INEC's presentation outlines considerable progress in logistics, technology, personnel training and stakeholder engagement, the Commission's remaining responsibilities will be tested by its ability to translate these preparations into an efficient election-day experience.

With voter education activities, final BVAS configuration, technical training, security arrangements and other statutory responsibilities still ongoing, sustained public engagement will remain essential.

The 2027 General Election will therefore provide another opportunity for INEC to consolidate the gains recorded during the August 2026 governorship election while addressing operational gaps that could affect voter confidence.

For the people of Osun State, the ultimate measure of preparedness will not simply be the number of BVAS devices available or the percentage of activities completed, but whether voters can exercise their franchise without unnecessary delays, intimidation or compromise.

As INEC moves closer to the polls, its assurance is clear: the Commission intends to meet voters at their polling units, rather than leave voters waiting for it.

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