The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Joash Amupitan, has said there would be no manual accreditation during the Osun State governorship election, insisting that biometric verification through the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, remained the only statutory method for accrediting voters.
Amupitan made the declaration Thursday in Osogbo during the formal signing of the Osun State Governorship Election Peace Accord ahead of the August 15, 2026 governorship poll.
The event was organised by the National Peace Committee, NPC, and attended by political parties, security agencies, traditional rulers and others.
The INEC chairman however, gave the assurance to residents that the commission was at an advance stage of readiness for the election as seven of the nine activities in the election timetable have been completed.
He said that voting would take place in the 30 local government areas, Modakeke Area Office, 332 registration areas and 3,763 polling units.
He said, “the certified register of voters, after the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) exercise, stands at 2,339,233 eligible voters while PVC collection at local government offices had been extended until Friday, 31 July to enable more registered voters collect their cards before the election.”
Amupitan also mentioned the recent security incidents where uncollected Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs were stolen in Okuku, Odo-Otin Local Government Area and Ife Central.
He gave assurances to the public that the stolen PVCs cannot be used for voting as they need live biometric verification via BVAS for accreditation.
“There will be no manual accreditation as the only statutory means of accreditation remains the biometric verification through the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS). “Without the live biometric verification on the BVAS, a stolen card cannot co-opt anybody,” he said.
“The serial numbers of the stolen PVCs can be blacklisted. Security agencies are chasing after those responsible. “Affected voters will be issued replacement cards or authorized to use digital verification PVC downloads,” the INEC chairman said.
“The commission has customized 4,427 BVAS devices for Osun State including 664 backup units which represent 15 percent operational reserve and explained that all polling unit result sheets known as Form EC8A would be scanned and uploaded directly to INEC Result Viewing Portal, IReV, immediately after voting.
Amupitan expressed concern over reports of political violence and insecurity, saying INEC had moved from reactive monitoring to proactive prevention through intelligence-led security operations coordinated by the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, ICCES.
We will not permit the democratic will of the people to be subverted by fear or force. “Security agencies would be protecting voters, election officials and electoral materials during the exercise,” he added.
General Abdulsalami Abubakar, represented by John Cardinal Onaiyekan, Chairman of the National Peace Committee, urged political parties to respect the spirit and letter of the Peace Accord.
He said though elections would come and go, peace and stability must remain, and urged INEC and security agencies to be impartial and professional in the conduct of the electoral process.
Olatunji Disu, for the Inspector-General of Police and Assistant Inspector-General of Police Akinyele Fasugba, Zone XI Command, said Nigeria Police Force was fully prepared to secure the election.
Additional police personnel have started arriving in Osun and the police would be neutral to ensure a free, fair, credible and transparent election, he said.
He also said Amotekun Corps and vigilante groups will not be used for election security duties.
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke has raised alarm over the harassment and arrest of members of his Accord party, alleging that over 60 party members including the Secretary to the State Government, Teslim Igbalaye, have been arrested.
He called on the National Peace Committee to prevail on the Inspector-General of Police to release those detained in Abuja for trial in Osun and also appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene. Adeleke restated his commitment to peaceful, free and fair elections.
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, also appealed to residents to shun violence and protect the state’s hard earned reputation of peace.
He said: “Osun State is bigger than any individual. Do not let anybody purchase your conscience. Whatever you decide to vote, vote that person and go back home in peace.” We want no violence.”
The highlight of the event was the signing of the Peace Accord by the participating political parties.
