The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan has appealed to traditional rulers in Osun State to use their influence to promote peace and discourage electoral violence ahead of the August 15, 2026 governorship election.
Prof. Amupitan made the appeal on Tuesday during a courtesy visit to the palace of the Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, as he commenced a five-day readiness assessment tour of the state ahead of the off-cycle governorship poll.
Leading a delegation of National Commissioners, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State and other senior management officials of the Commission, the INEC Chairman described Ile-Ife as the ancestral home of the Yoruba people and a symbol of peace and cultural unity, explaining that the palace was deliberately chosen as the first point of engagement with stakeholders.
He announced that the Osun governorship election would hold on August 15, 2026, while the 2027 general election is scheduled for January 16, 2027, with governorship and State Assembly elections in other states fixed for February 6, 2027.
Prof. Amupitan described the Osun election as a critical test of the Commission’s preparedness for the 2027 general election, noting that the state has 2,339,233 registered voters across 3,763 polling units located in 332 registration areas within its 30 local government areas.
He urged traditional rulers to prevail on political actors and their supporters to shun violence, insisting that elections should never become a do-or-die affair.
“The blood of one innocent person is not worth a governorship election. Nobody should be killed or should be threatened or should be embarrassed just because of election,” the INEC Chairman said.
Prof. Amupitan also cautioned against misinformation, disinformation and the misuse of artificial intelligence to circulate fake election results, while warning against vote-buying and other electoral offences.
He assured stakeholders that the Commission would deploy the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for the election, stressing that no vote would be counted without proper accreditation.
Responding on behalf of the traditional rulers, the Ooni of Ife commended Prof. Amupitan’s leadership but expressed concern over the rising political tension in Osun State, describing the situation as disturbing.
The monarch urged the INEC Chairman to ensure fairness, transparency and impartiality in the conduct of the election, noting that the credibility of the process rests on the Commission’s ability to discharge its constitutional responsibility.
He also appealed to politicians and their supporters to embrace peace before, during and after the election.
The visit marked the commencement of Prof. Amupitan’s five-day engagement in Osun State, during which he is expected to hold an expanded stakeholders’ meeting and witness the signing of a peace accord by political parties and governorship candidates ahead of the election.
