The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in Osun State until Friday, July 31, 2026, in a move aimed at enabling more eligible voters to participate in the August 15 governorship election.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), announced the extension during a stakeholders’ meeting in Osogbo, saying the decision was taken to promote inclusivity and ensure that no eligible voter is denied the opportunity to vote.
Prof. Amupitan disclosed that as of the close of PVC distribution on Tuesday, 322,822 newly registered voters, representing about 60 per cent of eligible registrants, had collected their voter cards.
He explained that the Commission reviewed the turnout and resolved to extend the exercise by two additional days to allow more voters to obtain their PVCs before the election.
The INEC Chairman reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to conducting an inclusive electoral process, stressing that every eligible voter should be given the opportunity to exercise their constitutional right.
He also revealed that the Commission had completed the final voters’ register for the election, with 2,339,233 eligible voters spread across the state’s 30 local government areas, 332 wards and 3,763 polling units.
According to him, the register was subjected to the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS), which removed cases of double registration and other invalid entries to ensure the credibility of the electoral roll.
Prof. Amupitan announced that 14 political parties had been cleared to participate in the governorship election, with their respective candidates already published by the Commission.
To strengthen security around the ongoing PVC collection, he said INEC had engaged security agencies and would collaborate with the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) to ensure adequate deployment of personnel and patrol vehicles at collection centres across the state.
He urged eligible voters who were yet to collect their PVCs to take advantage of the extended deadline.
Also speaking, the National Commissioner supervising the South-West, Prof. Kunle Ajayi, called on political parties, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to support the Commission’s efforts to deliver a peaceful, credible and inclusive election.
He said INEC had continued to work diligently under the leadership of Prof. Amupitan to ensure that the Osun governorship poll reflects the genuine will of the electorate without violence, intimidation or electoral malpractice.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Barrister Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the PVC distribution exercise had progressed smoothly, adding that more than 60 per cent of the available cards had already been collected.
She also confirmed that the official register of voters had been presented to political parties participating in the election.
Babalola reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to transparency, professionalism, neutrality and inclusivity, assuring stakeholders that every necessary measure was being taken to conduct a free, fair, credible and transparent governorship election in Osun State.
