Members of the Accord and the opposition All Progressives Congress in Osun State traded blame at the governorship election stakeholders’ forum convened by the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Joash Amupitan, in Osogbo on Wednesday.Also at the event, members of the Accord booed the Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, as he read through his speech at the event.Delivering his speech, the Osun CP, Gotan, had appealed to political actors, their supporters, and all stakeholders to conduct themselves peacefully, avoid inflammatory rhetoric, reject violence, and use lawful channels to resolve grievances.The APC representative, Kehinde Ayantunji, in his presentation, slammed the Accord members over the booing incident, urging the INEC to take note.Ayantunji said, “You have seen the way they disrupted the process and did not allow us to really enjoy the civic engagement with the INEC.“We plead with the INEC chairman to prioritise a well-structured security arrangement, so that we can have a free, fair and credible election.”Ayantunji also urged INEC to monitor Ede and ensure that voting did not run into the night, to prevent manipulation.“We raised an alarm yesterday that Accord has sponsored hoodlums to destabilise this process. And what happened before the INEC chairman was a validation of our earlier alarms. It indicated that the APC is a peaceful party, while Accord is a violent party.“Since 1999, we have never experienced where people vote till 1 am. But, in 2022, we experienced it. This is even though, by the present arrangements of INEC, it is practically impossible to have an election till even 5 pm, no matter the number, because INEC has partitioned the unit to accommodate lesser numbers,” Ayantunji said.He continued, “What has INEC put in place to ensure that some people are not allowed to vote beyond normal hours stipulated by the Electoral Act and by the INEC guidelines?“This is because what we experienced in Ede during the 2022 election is contrary to INEC guidelines and the Electoral Act. APC is committed to free, fair and credible elections.”Speaking on behalf of the Governor Ademola Adeleke Campaign Council, the member representing Ede North/Ede South/Egbedore/Ejigbo Federal Constituency, Bamidele Salam, listed demands of the Accord candidate before and during the election.Salam expressed concerns over election day logistics.He said movement of election materials should not be handled by drivers belonging to the Kazeem Oyewale-led faction of the National Union of Road Transport Workers in the state.The lawmaker alleged that Oyewale was a member of the APC and should not be involved in the movement of election materials.Rather, he said the commission should either engage the NURTW members led by Nurudeen Alowonle or make use of other transport unions such as the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria and the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners.Salam said, “Our party notes that the Electoral Act 2026 has made provision for electronic transmission of results by presiding officers at every polling unit. Our party demands that this provision be strictly complied with by officials of INEC in all polling units.“This is the only way to enhance transparency and gain the confidence of men and women who have spent hours casting their vote on election day.“This will also enable observers and the general public to view the IReV portal as the process continues to the various collation centres and stages.“We have credible information to the effect that hundreds of other leaders, including our Director-General and some of us in the campaign council, have been marked out for arrest and harassment as a weapon of demoralising our supporters in various Local governments.”Related News2027: ICPC warns INEC officials against result manipulation2027: INEC vows every vote will countCVR: Women dominate as INEC records 3.87m new votersIn his remarks, INEC Chairman, Amupitan, declared that the commission had no preferred candidate, but sought a poll that will reflect the lawful choice of the electorate.He assured stakeholders that the commission was fully prepared to deliver an election that will satisfy the standards of the Electoral Act 2026 and published Election Regulations and Guidelines.Regarding the ongoing PVC collection, the chairman said the commission had approved the extension of the exercise at Registration Areas to Friday, July 31, to enable more eligible voters to exercise their civic right.He said during the exercise, a total number of 322,822 PVCs representing 62 per cent of the available PVCs were collected.He disclosed that 2,339,233 registered voters are eligible to vote in the election across the state’s 30 local government areas, 332 registration areas and 3,763 polling units, with 14 political parties fielding candidates.On election day, he said voting would commence at 8.30 am, while Registration Area Centres would open from noon on August 14 to enable personnel, election materials and security operatives to be deployed.He warned that electoral officers whose local governments failed to commence accreditation by 8.30 am would be held accountable.Amupitan said, “Biometric verification (fingerprint or facial matching via BVAS) remains the sole statutory mechanism for accreditation.“There will be no manual accreditation. All polling unit result sheets (Form EC8A) will be scanned and uploaded directly from the polling unit to the IReV portal, guaranteeing public transparency from the moment voting closes.“As we approach the Osun polls, our priority is to build and sustain the ultimate trust of the electorate. Our Bimodal Voter Accreditation System is the heartbeat of our elections; therefore, we are subjecting our systems to a rigorous field test to fortify the sanctity of the ballot during the election.“Therefore, on Saturday, 1st August 2026, we will be conducting a Mock Accreditation across 12 selected local government areas in the state, four per senatorial zone.“The selected LGAs are: Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodun, Boripe, Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Oriade, Obokun, Egbedore, Ede North, Ede South and Ejigbo.”He also said the commission, working through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security and other relevant stakeholders, had mapped localised risk corridors, identified emerging threats, anticipated potential flashpoints, prioritised interventions, and implemented mitigation measures, particularly in parts of Atakumosa East and West, Boripe, Ede North and South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila, Osogbo, Ifelodun, and Oriade Local Government Areas.According to him, the locations would receive specialised, high-visibility security deployments, noting that security forces had been issued strict operational directives to neutralise thuggery, cult movement, and any attempt at ballot disruption while maintaining absolute professional neutrality.Commenting on the last Sunday attack that occurred in Okuku, which resulted in the theft of three batches of uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards, Amupitan said the unfortunate event repeated itself in Ife Central, where some people on a motorcycle stole some PVCs and escaped.“I wish to reassure the electorate and issue a stern warning to perpetrators who stole PVCs that they are functionally ineffective under our system architecture.“Without the live biometric verification of the legitimate cardholder on the BVAS, a stolen card cannot accredit anyone to vote.“The serial numbers of the stolen cards can be permanently blacklisted on our central server, and law enforcement agencies would close in on the perpetrators. “I have directed the ICT Director to ensure a reprint of the stolen PVCs and/or ensure that the affected voters are allowed to use the downloadable PVC, which will be available during this election,” he said.Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the commission had completed 11 of the 13 activities contained in the election timetable, with only the end of campaigns and the conduct of the election outstanding.She added that all sensitive election materials had arrived in the state and were being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo, while non-sensitive materials had already been distributed to all local government areas. Also at the event, members of the Accord booed the Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, as he read through his speech at the event.Delivering his speech, the Osun CP, Gotan, had appealed to political actors, their supporters, and all stakeholders to conduct themselves peacefully, avoid inflammatory rhetoric, reject violence, and use lawful channels to resolve grievances.The APC representative, Kehinde Ayantunji, in his presentation, slammed the Accord members over the booing incident, urging the INEC to take note.Ayantunji said, “You have seen the way they disrupted the process and did not allow us to really enjoy the civic engagement with the INEC.“We plead with the INEC chairman to prioritise a well-structured security arrangement, so that we can have a free, fair and credible election.”Ayantunji also urged INEC to monitor Ede and ensure that voting did not run into the night, to prevent manipulation.“We raised an alarm yesterday that Accord has sponsored hoodlums to destabilise this process. And what happened before the INEC chairman was a validation of our earlier alarms. It indicated that the APC is a peaceful party, while Accord is a violent party.“Since 1999, we have never experienced where people vote till 1 am. But, in 2022, we experienced it. This is even though, by the present arrangements of INEC, it is practically impossible to have an election till even 5 pm, no matter the number, because INEC has partitioned the unit to accommodate lesser numbers,” Ayantunji said.He continued, “What has INEC put in place to ensure that some people are not allowed to vote beyond normal hours stipulated by the Electoral Act and by the INEC guidelines?“This is because what we experienced in Ede during the 2022 election is contrary to INEC guidelines and the Electoral Act. APC is committed to free, fair and credible elections.”Speaking on behalf of the Governor Ademola Adeleke Campaign Council, the member representing Ede North/Ede South/Egbedore/Ejigbo Federal Constituency, Bamidele Salam, listed demands of the Accord candidate before and during the election.Salam expressed concerns over election day logistics.He said movement of election materials should not be handled by drivers belonging to the Kazeem Oyewale-led faction of the National Union of Road Transport Workers in the state.The lawmaker alleged that Oyewale was a member of the APC and should not be involved in the movement of election materials.Rather, he said the commission should either engage the NURTW members led by Nurudeen Alowonle or make use of other transport unions such as the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria and the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners.Salam said, “Our party notes that the Electoral Act 2026 has made provision for electronic transmission of results by presiding officers at every polling unit. Our party demands that this provision be strictly complied with by officials of INEC in all polling units.“This is the only way to enhance transparency and gain the confidence of men and women who have spent hours casting their vote on election day.“This will also enable observers and the general public to view the IReV portal as the process continues to the various collation centres and stages.“We have credible information to the effect that hundreds of other leaders, including our Director-General and some of us in the campaign council, have been marked out for arrest and harassment as a weapon of demoralising our supporters in various Local governments.”Related News2027: ICPC warns INEC officials against result manipulation2027: INEC vows every vote will countCVR: Women dominate as INEC records 3.87m new votersIn his remarks, INEC Chairman, Amupitan, declared that the commission had no preferred candidate, but sought a poll that will reflect the lawful choice of the electorate.He assured stakeholders that the commission was fully prepared to deliver an election that will satisfy the standards of the Electoral Act 2026 and published Election Regulations and Guidelines.Regarding the ongoing PVC collection, the chairman said the commission had approved the extension of the exercise at Registration Areas to Friday, July 31, to enable more eligible voters to exercise their civic right.He said during the exercise, a total number of 322,822 PVCs representing 62 per cent of the available PVCs were collected.He disclosed that 2,339,233 registered voters are eligible to vote in the election across the state’s 30 local government areas, 332 registration areas and 3,763 polling units, with 14 political parties fielding candidates.On election day, he said voting would commence at 8.30 am, while Registration Area Centres would open from noon on August 14 to enable personnel, election materials and security operatives to be deployed.He warned that electoral officers whose local governments failed to commence accreditation by 8.30 am would be held accountable.Amupitan said, “Biometric verification (fingerprint or facial matching via BVAS) remains the sole statutory mechanism for accreditation.“There will be no manual accreditation. All polling unit result sheets (Form EC8A) will be scanned and uploaded directly from the polling unit to the IReV portal, guaranteeing public transparency from the moment voting closes.“As we approach the Osun polls, our priority is to build and sustain the ultimate trust of the electorate. Our Bimodal Voter Accreditation System is the heartbeat of our elections; therefore, we are subjecting our systems to a rigorous field test to fortify the sanctity of the ballot during the election.“Therefore, on Saturday, 1st August 2026, we will be conducting a Mock Accreditation across 12 selected local government areas in the state, four per senatorial zone.“The selected LGAs are: Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodun, Boripe, Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Oriade, Obokun, Egbedore, Ede North, Ede South and Ejigbo.”He also said the commission, working through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security and other relevant stakeholders, had mapped localised risk corridors, identified emerging threats, anticipated potential flashpoints, prioritised interventions, and implemented mitigation measures, particularly in parts of Atakumosa East and West, Boripe, Ede North and South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila, Osogbo, Ifelodun, and Oriade Local Government Areas.According to him, the locations would receive specialised, high-visibility security deployments, noting that security forces had been issued strict operational directives to neutralise thuggery, cult movement, and any attempt at ballot disruption while maintaining absolute professional neutrality.Commenting on the last Sunday attack that occurred in Okuku, which resulted in the theft of three batches of uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards, Amupitan said the unfortunate event repeated itself in Ife Central, where some people on a motorcycle stole some PVCs and escaped.“I wish to reassure the electorate and issue a stern warning to perpetrators who stole PVCs that they are functionally ineffective under our system architecture.“Without the live biometric verification of the legitimate cardholder on the BVAS, a stolen card cannot accredit anyone to vote.“The serial numbers of the stolen cards can be permanently blacklisted on our central server, and law enforcement agencies would close in on the perpetrators. “I have directed the ICT Director to ensure a reprint of the stolen PVCs and/or ensure that the affected voters are allowed to use the downloadable PVC, which will be available during this election,” he said.Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the commission had completed 11 of the 13 activities contained in the election timetable, with only the end of campaigns and the conduct of the election outstanding.She added that all sensitive election materials had arrived in the state and were being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo, while non-sensitive materials had already been distributed to all local government areas. Delivering his speech, the Osun CP, Gotan, had appealed to political actors, their supporters, and all stakeholders to conduct themselves peacefully, avoid inflammatory rhetoric, reject violence, and use lawful channels to resolve grievances.The APC representative, Kehinde Ayantunji, in his presentation, slammed the Accord members over the booing incident, urging the INEC to take note.Ayantunji said, “You have seen the way they disrupted the process and did not allow us to really enjoy the civic engagement with the INEC.“We plead with the INEC chairman to prioritise a well-structured security arrangement, so that we can have a free, fair and credible election.”Ayantunji also urged INEC to monitor Ede and ensure that voting did not run into the night, to prevent manipulation.“We raised an alarm yesterday that Accord has sponsored hoodlums to destabilise this process. And what happened before the INEC chairman was a validation of our earlier alarms. It indicated that the APC is a peaceful party, while Accord is a violent party.“Since 1999, we have never experienced where people vote till 1 am. But, in 2022, we experienced it. This is even though, by the present arrangements of INEC, it is practically impossible to have an election till even 5 pm, no matter the number, because INEC has partitioned the unit to accommodate lesser numbers,” Ayantunji said.He continued, “What has INEC put in place to ensure that some people are not allowed to vote beyond normal hours stipulated by the Electoral Act and by the INEC guidelines?“This is because what we experienced in Ede during the 2022 election is contrary to INEC guidelines and the Electoral Act. APC is committed to free, fair and credible elections.”Speaking on behalf of the Governor Ademola Adeleke Campaign Council, the member representing Ede North/Ede South/Egbedore/Ejigbo Federal Constituency, Bamidele Salam, listed demands of the Accord candidate before and during the election.Salam expressed concerns over election day logistics.He said movement of election materials should not be handled by drivers belonging to the Kazeem Oyewale-led faction of the National Union of Road Transport Workers in the state.The lawmaker alleged that Oyewale was a member of the APC and should not be involved in the movement of election materials.Rather, he said the commission should either engage the NURTW members led by Nurudeen Alowonle or make use of other transport unions such as the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria and the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners.Salam said, “Our party notes that the Electoral Act 2026 has made provision for electronic transmission of results by presiding officers at every polling unit. Our party demands that this provision be strictly complied with by officials of INEC in all polling units.“This is the only way to enhance transparency and gain the confidence of men and women who have spent hours casting their vote on election day.“This will also enable observers and the general public to view the IReV portal as the process continues to the various collation centres and stages.“We have credible information to the effect that hundreds of other leaders, including our Director-General and some of us in the campaign council, have been marked out for arrest and harassment as a weapon of demoralising our supporters in various Local governments.”Related News2027: ICPC warns INEC officials against result manipulation2027: INEC vows every vote will countCVR: Women dominate as INEC records 3.87m new votersIn his remarks, INEC Chairman, Amupitan, declared that the commission had no preferred candidate, but sought a poll that will reflect the lawful choice of the electorate.He assured stakeholders that the commission was fully prepared to deliver an election that will satisfy the standards of the Electoral Act 2026 and published Election Regulations and Guidelines.Regarding the ongoing PVC collection, the chairman said the commission had approved the extension of the exercise at Registration Areas to Friday, July 31, to enable more eligible voters to exercise their civic right.He said during the exercise, a total number of 322,822 PVCs representing 62 per cent of the available PVCs were collected.He disclosed that 2,339,233 registered voters are eligible to vote in the election across the state’s 30 local government areas, 332 registration areas and 3,763 polling units, with 14 political parties fielding candidates.On election day, he said voting would commence at 8.30 am, while Registration Area Centres would open from noon on August 14 to enable personnel, election materials and security operatives to be deployed.He warned that electoral officers whose local governments failed to commence accreditation by 8.30 am would be held accountable.Amupitan said, “Biometric verification (fingerprint or facial matching via BVAS) remains the sole statutory mechanism for accreditation.“There will be no manual accreditation. All polling unit result sheets (Form EC8A) will be scanned and uploaded directly from the polling unit to the IReV portal, guaranteeing public transparency from the moment voting closes.“As we approach the Osun polls, our priority is to build and sustain the ultimate trust of the electorate. Our Bimodal Voter Accreditation System is the heartbeat of our elections; therefore, we are subjecting our systems to a rigorous field test to fortify the sanctity of the ballot during the election.“Therefore, on Saturday, 1st August 2026, we will be conducting a Mock Accreditation across 12 selected local government areas in the state, four per senatorial zone.“The selected LGAs are: Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodun, Boripe, Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Oriade, Obokun, Egbedore, Ede North, Ede South and Ejigbo.”He also said the commission, working through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security and other relevant stakeholders, had mapped localised risk corridors, identified emerging threats, anticipated potential flashpoints, prioritised interventions, and implemented mitigation measures, particularly in parts of Atakumosa East and West, Boripe, Ede North and South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila, Osogbo, Ifelodun, and Oriade Local Government Areas.According to him, the locations would receive specialised, high-visibility security deployments, noting that security forces had been issued strict operational directives to neutralise thuggery, cult movement, and any attempt at ballot disruption while maintaining absolute professional neutrality.Commenting on the last Sunday attack that occurred in Okuku, which resulted in the theft of three batches of uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards, Amupitan said the unfortunate event repeated itself in Ife Central, where some people on a motorcycle stole some PVCs and escaped.“I wish to reassure the electorate and issue a stern warning to perpetrators who stole PVCs that they are functionally ineffective under our system architecture.“Without the live biometric verification of the legitimate cardholder on the BVAS, a stolen card cannot accredit anyone to vote.“The serial numbers of the stolen cards can be permanently blacklisted on our central server, and law enforcement agencies would close in on the perpetrators. “I have directed the ICT Director to ensure a reprint of the stolen PVCs and/or ensure that the affected voters are allowed to use the downloadable PVC, which will be available during this election,” he said.Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the commission had completed 11 of the 13 activities contained in the election timetable, with only the end of campaigns and the conduct of the election outstanding.She added that all sensitive election materials had arrived in the state and were being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo, while non-sensitive materials had already been distributed to all local government areas. The APC representative, Kehinde Ayantunji, in his presentation, slammed the Accord members over the booing incident, urging the INEC to take note.Ayantunji said, “You have seen the way they disrupted the process and did not allow us to really enjoy the civic engagement with the INEC.“We plead with the INEC chairman to prioritise a well-structured security arrangement, so that we can have a free, fair and credible election.”Ayantunji also urged INEC to monitor Ede and ensure that voting did not run into the night, to prevent manipulation.“We raised an alarm yesterday that Accord has sponsored hoodlums to destabilise this process. And what happened before the INEC chairman was a validation of our earlier alarms. It indicated that the APC is a peaceful party, while Accord is a violent party.“Since 1999, we have never experienced where people vote till 1 am. But, in 2022, we experienced it. This is even though, by the present arrangements of INEC, it is practically impossible to have an election till even 5 pm, no matter the number, because INEC has partitioned the unit to accommodate lesser numbers,” Ayantunji said.He continued, “What has INEC put in place to ensure that some people are not allowed to vote beyond normal hours stipulated by the Electoral Act and by the INEC guidelines?“This is because what we experienced in Ede during the 2022 election is contrary to INEC guidelines and the Electoral Act. APC is committed to free, fair and credible elections.”Speaking on behalf of the Governor Ademola Adeleke Campaign Council, the member representing Ede North/Ede South/Egbedore/Ejigbo Federal Constituency, Bamidele Salam, listed demands of the Accord candidate before and during the election.Salam expressed concerns over election day logistics.He said movement of election materials should not be handled by drivers belonging to the Kazeem Oyewale-led faction of the National Union of Road Transport Workers in the state.The lawmaker alleged that Oyewale was a member of the APC and should not be involved in the movement of election materials.Rather, he said the commission should either engage the NURTW members led by Nurudeen Alowonle or make use of other transport unions such as the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria and the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners.Salam said, “Our party notes that the Electoral Act 2026 has made provision for electronic transmission of results by presiding officers at every polling unit. Our party demands that this provision be strictly complied with by officials of INEC in all polling units.“This is the only way to enhance transparency and gain the confidence of men and women who have spent hours casting their vote on election day.“This will also enable observers and the general public to view the IReV portal as the process continues to the various collation centres and stages.“We have credible information to the effect that hundreds of other leaders, including our Director-General and some of us in the campaign council, have been marked out for arrest and harassment as a weapon of demoralising our supporters in various Local governments.”Related News2027: ICPC warns INEC officials against result manipulation2027: INEC vows every vote will countCVR: Women dominate as INEC records 3.87m new votersIn his remarks, INEC Chairman, Amupitan, declared that the commission had no preferred candidate, but sought a poll that will reflect the lawful choice of the electorate.He assured stakeholders that the commission was fully prepared to deliver an election that will satisfy the standards of the Electoral Act 2026 and published Election Regulations and Guidelines.Regarding the ongoing PVC collection, the chairman said the commission had approved the extension of the exercise at Registration Areas to Friday, July 31, to enable more eligible voters to exercise their civic right.He said during the exercise, a total number of 322,822 PVCs representing 62 per cent of the available PVCs were collected.He disclosed that 2,339,233 registered voters are eligible to vote in the election across the state’s 30 local government areas, 332 registration areas and 3,763 polling units, with 14 political parties fielding candidates.On election day, he said voting would commence at 8.30 am, while Registration Area Centres would open from noon on August 14 to enable personnel, election materials and security operatives to be deployed.He warned that electoral officers whose local governments failed to commence accreditation by 8.30 am would be held accountable.Amupitan said, “Biometric verification (fingerprint or facial matching via BVAS) remains the sole statutory mechanism for accreditation.“There will be no manual accreditation. All polling unit result sheets (Form EC8A) will be scanned and uploaded directly from the polling unit to the IReV portal, guaranteeing public transparency from the moment voting closes.“As we approach the Osun polls, our priority is to build and sustain the ultimate trust of the electorate. Our Bimodal Voter Accreditation System is the heartbeat of our elections; therefore, we are subjecting our systems to a rigorous field test to fortify the sanctity of the ballot during the election.“Therefore, on Saturday, 1st August 2026, we will be conducting a Mock Accreditation across 12 selected local government areas in the state, four per senatorial zone.“The selected LGAs are: Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodun, Boripe, Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Oriade, Obokun, Egbedore, Ede North, Ede South and Ejigbo.”He also said the commission, working through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security and other relevant stakeholders, had mapped localised risk corridors, identified emerging threats, anticipated potential flashpoints, prioritised interventions, and implemented mitigation measures, particularly in parts of Atakumosa East and West, Boripe, Ede North and South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila, Osogbo, Ifelodun, and Oriade Local Government Areas.According to him, the locations would receive specialised, high-visibility security deployments, noting that security forces had been issued strict operational directives to neutralise thuggery, cult movement, and any attempt at ballot disruption while maintaining absolute professional neutrality.Commenting on the last Sunday attack that occurred in Okuku, which resulted in the theft of three batches of uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards, Amupitan said the unfortunate event repeated itself in Ife Central, where some people on a motorcycle stole some PVCs and escaped.“I wish to reassure the electorate and issue a stern warning to perpetrators who stole PVCs that they are functionally ineffective under our system architecture.“Without the live biometric verification of the legitimate cardholder on the BVAS, a stolen card cannot accredit anyone to vote.“The serial numbers of the stolen cards can be permanently blacklisted on our central server, and law enforcement agencies would close in on the perpetrators. “I have directed the ICT Director to ensure a reprint of the stolen PVCs and/or ensure that the affected voters are allowed to use the downloadable PVC, which will be available during this election,” he said.Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the commission had completed 11 of the 13 activities contained in the election timetable, with only the end of campaigns and the conduct of the election outstanding.She added that all sensitive election materials had arrived in the state and were being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo, while non-sensitive materials had already been distributed to all local government areas. Ayantunji said, “You have seen the way they disrupted the process and did not allow us to really enjoy the civic engagement with the INEC.“We plead with the INEC chairman to prioritise a well-structured security arrangement, so that we can have a free, fair and credible election.”Ayantunji also urged INEC to monitor Ede and ensure that voting did not run into the night, to prevent manipulation.“We raised an alarm yesterday that Accord has sponsored hoodlums to destabilise this process. And what happened before the INEC chairman was a validation of our earlier alarms. It indicated that the APC is a peaceful party, while Accord is a violent party.“Since 1999, we have never experienced where people vote till 1 am. But, in 2022, we experienced it. This is even though, by the present arrangements of INEC, it is practically impossible to have an election till even 5 pm, no matter the number, because INEC has partitioned the unit to accommodate lesser numbers,” Ayantunji said.He continued, “What has INEC put in place to ensure that some people are not allowed to vote beyond normal hours stipulated by the Electoral Act and by the INEC guidelines?“This is because what we experienced in Ede during the 2022 election is contrary to INEC guidelines and the Electoral Act. APC is committed to free, fair and credible elections.”Speaking on behalf of the Governor Ademola Adeleke Campaign Council, the member representing Ede North/Ede South/Egbedore/Ejigbo Federal Constituency, Bamidele Salam, listed demands of the Accord candidate before and during the election.Salam expressed concerns over election day logistics.He said movement of election materials should not be handled by drivers belonging to the Kazeem Oyewale-led faction of the National Union of Road Transport Workers in the state.The lawmaker alleged that Oyewale was a member of the APC and should not be involved in the movement of election materials.Rather, he said the commission should either engage the NURTW members led by Nurudeen Alowonle or make use of other transport unions such as the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria and the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners.Salam said, “Our party notes that the Electoral Act 2026 has made provision for electronic transmission of results by presiding officers at every polling unit. Our party demands that this provision be strictly complied with by officials of INEC in all polling units.“This is the only way to enhance transparency and gain the confidence of men and women who have spent hours casting their vote on election day.“This will also enable observers and the general public to view the IReV portal as the process continues to the various collation centres and stages.“We have credible information to the effect that hundreds of other leaders, including our Director-General and some of us in the campaign council, have been marked out for arrest and harassment as a weapon of demoralising our supporters in various Local governments.”Related News2027: ICPC warns INEC officials against result manipulation2027: INEC vows every vote will countCVR: Women dominate as INEC records 3.87m new votersIn his remarks, INEC Chairman, Amupitan, declared that the commission had no preferred candidate, but sought a poll that will reflect the lawful choice of the electorate.He assured stakeholders that the commission was fully prepared to deliver an election that will satisfy the standards of the Electoral Act 2026 and published Election Regulations and Guidelines.Regarding the ongoing PVC collection, the chairman said the commission had approved the extension of the exercise at Registration Areas to Friday, July 31, to enable more eligible voters to exercise their civic right.He said during the exercise, a total number of 322,822 PVCs representing 62 per cent of the available PVCs were collected.He disclosed that 2,339,233 registered voters are eligible to vote in the election across the state’s 30 local government areas, 332 registration areas and 3,763 polling units, with 14 political parties fielding candidates.On election day, he said voting would commence at 8.30 am, while Registration Area Centres would open from noon on August 14 to enable personnel, election materials and security operatives to be deployed.He warned that electoral officers whose local governments failed to commence accreditation by 8.30 am would be held accountable.Amupitan said, “Biometric verification (fingerprint or facial matching via BVAS) remains the sole statutory mechanism for accreditation.“There will be no manual accreditation. All polling unit result sheets (Form EC8A) will be scanned and uploaded directly from the polling unit to the IReV portal, guaranteeing public transparency from the moment voting closes.“As we approach the Osun polls, our priority is to build and sustain the ultimate trust of the electorate. Our Bimodal Voter Accreditation System is the heartbeat of our elections; therefore, we are subjecting our systems to a rigorous field test to fortify the sanctity of the ballot during the election.“Therefore, on Saturday, 1st August 2026, we will be conducting a Mock Accreditation across 12 selected local government areas in the state, four per senatorial zone.“The selected LGAs are: Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodun, Boripe, Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Oriade, Obokun, Egbedore, Ede North, Ede South and Ejigbo.”He also said the commission, working through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security and other relevant stakeholders, had mapped localised risk corridors, identified emerging threats, anticipated potential flashpoints, prioritised interventions, and implemented mitigation measures, particularly in parts of Atakumosa East and West, Boripe, Ede North and South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila, Osogbo, Ifelodun, and Oriade Local Government Areas.According to him, the locations would receive specialised, high-visibility security deployments, noting that security forces had been issued strict operational directives to neutralise thuggery, cult movement, and any attempt at ballot disruption while maintaining absolute professional neutrality.Commenting on the last Sunday attack that occurred in Okuku, which resulted in the theft of three batches of uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards, Amupitan said the unfortunate event repeated itself in Ife Central, where some people on a motorcycle stole some PVCs and escaped.“I wish to reassure the electorate and issue a stern warning to perpetrators who stole PVCs that they are functionally ineffective under our system architecture.“Without the live biometric verification of the legitimate cardholder on the BVAS, a stolen card cannot accredit anyone to vote.“The serial numbers of the stolen cards can be permanently blacklisted on our central server, and law enforcement agencies would close in on the perpetrators. “I have directed the ICT Director to ensure a reprint of the stolen PVCs and/or ensure that the affected voters are allowed to use the downloadable PVC, which will be available during this election,” he said.Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the commission had completed 11 of the 13 activities contained in the election timetable, with only the end of campaigns and the conduct of the election outstanding.She added that all sensitive election materials had arrived in the state and were being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo, while non-sensitive materials had already been distributed to all local government areas. “We plead with the INEC chairman to prioritise a well-structured security arrangement, so that we can have a free, fair and credible election.”Ayantunji also urged INEC to monitor Ede and ensure that voting did not run into the night, to prevent manipulation.“We raised an alarm yesterday that Accord has sponsored hoodlums to destabilise this process. And what happened before the INEC chairman was a validation of our earlier alarms. It indicated that the APC is a peaceful party, while Accord is a violent party.“Since 1999, we have never experienced where people vote till 1 am. But, in 2022, we experienced it. This is even though, by the present arrangements of INEC, it is practically impossible to have an election till even 5 pm, no matter the number, because INEC has partitioned the unit to accommodate lesser numbers,” Ayantunji said.He continued, “What has INEC put in place to ensure that some people are not allowed to vote beyond normal hours stipulated by the Electoral Act and by the INEC guidelines?“This is because what we experienced in Ede during the 2022 election is contrary to INEC guidelines and the Electoral Act. APC is committed to free, fair and credible elections.”Speaking on behalf of the Governor Ademola Adeleke Campaign Council, the member representing Ede North/Ede South/Egbedore/Ejigbo Federal Constituency, Bamidele Salam, listed demands of the Accord candidate before and during the election.Salam expressed concerns over election day logistics.He said movement of election materials should not be handled by drivers belonging to the Kazeem Oyewale-led faction of the National Union of Road Transport Workers in the state.The lawmaker alleged that Oyewale was a member of the APC and should not be involved in the movement of election materials.Rather, he said the commission should either engage the NURTW members led by Nurudeen Alowonle or make use of other transport unions such as the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria and the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners.Salam said, “Our party notes that the Electoral Act 2026 has made provision for electronic transmission of results by presiding officers at every polling unit. Our party demands that this provision be strictly complied with by officials of INEC in all polling units.“This is the only way to enhance transparency and gain the confidence of men and women who have spent hours casting their vote on election day.“This will also enable observers and the general public to view the IReV portal as the process continues to the various collation centres and stages.“We have credible information to the effect that hundreds of other leaders, including our Director-General and some of us in the campaign council, have been marked out for arrest and harassment as a weapon of demoralising our supporters in various Local governments.”Related News2027: ICPC warns INEC officials against result manipulation2027: INEC vows every vote will countCVR: Women dominate as INEC records 3.87m new votersIn his remarks, INEC Chairman, Amupitan, declared that the commission had no preferred candidate, but sought a poll that will reflect the lawful choice of the electorate.He assured stakeholders that the commission was fully prepared to deliver an election that will satisfy the standards of the Electoral Act 2026 and published Election Regulations and Guidelines.Regarding the ongoing PVC collection, the chairman said the commission had approved the extension of the exercise at Registration Areas to Friday, July 31, to enable more eligible voters to exercise their civic right.He said during the exercise, a total number of 322,822 PVCs representing 62 per cent of the available PVCs were collected.He disclosed that 2,339,233 registered voters are eligible to vote in the election across the state’s 30 local government areas, 332 registration areas and 3,763 polling units, with 14 political parties fielding candidates.On election day, he said voting would commence at 8.30 am, while Registration Area Centres would open from noon on August 14 to enable personnel, election materials and security operatives to be deployed.He warned that electoral officers whose local governments failed to commence accreditation by 8.30 am would be held accountable.Amupitan said, “Biometric verification (fingerprint or facial matching via BVAS) remains the sole statutory mechanism for accreditation.“There will be no manual accreditation. All polling unit result sheets (Form EC8A) will be scanned and uploaded directly from the polling unit to the IReV portal, guaranteeing public transparency from the moment voting closes.“As we approach the Osun polls, our priority is to build and sustain the ultimate trust of the electorate. Our Bimodal Voter Accreditation System is the heartbeat of our elections; therefore, we are subjecting our systems to a rigorous field test to fortify the sanctity of the ballot during the election.“Therefore, on Saturday, 1st August 2026, we will be conducting a Mock Accreditation across 12 selected local government areas in the state, four per senatorial zone.“The selected LGAs are: Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodun, Boripe, Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Oriade, Obokun, Egbedore, Ede North, Ede South and Ejigbo.”He also said the commission, working through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security and other relevant stakeholders, had mapped localised risk corridors, identified emerging threats, anticipated potential flashpoints, prioritised interventions, and implemented mitigation measures, particularly in parts of Atakumosa East and West, Boripe, Ede North and South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila, Osogbo, Ifelodun, and Oriade Local Government Areas.According to him, the locations would receive specialised, high-visibility security deployments, noting that security forces had been issued strict operational directives to neutralise thuggery, cult movement, and any attempt at ballot disruption while maintaining absolute professional neutrality.Commenting on the last Sunday attack that occurred in Okuku, which resulted in the theft of three batches of uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards, Amupitan said the unfortunate event repeated itself in Ife Central, where some people on a motorcycle stole some PVCs and escaped.“I wish to reassure the electorate and issue a stern warning to perpetrators who stole PVCs that they are functionally ineffective under our system architecture.“Without the live biometric verification of the legitimate cardholder on the BVAS, a stolen card cannot accredit anyone to vote.“The serial numbers of the stolen cards can be permanently blacklisted on our central server, and law enforcement agencies would close in on the perpetrators. “I have directed the ICT Director to ensure a reprint of the stolen PVCs and/or ensure that the affected voters are allowed to use the downloadable PVC, which will be available during this election,” he said.Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the commission had completed 11 of the 13 activities contained in the election timetable, with only the end of campaigns and the conduct of the election outstanding.She added that all sensitive election materials had arrived in the state and were being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo, while non-sensitive materials had already been distributed to all local government areas. Ayantunji also urged INEC to monitor Ede and ensure that voting did not run into the night, to prevent manipulation.“We raised an alarm yesterday that Accord has sponsored hoodlums to destabilise this process. And what happened before the INEC chairman was a validation of our earlier alarms. It indicated that the APC is a peaceful party, while Accord is a violent party.“Since 1999, we have never experienced where people vote till 1 am. But, in 2022, we experienced it. This is even though, by the present arrangements of INEC, it is practically impossible to have an election till even 5 pm, no matter the number, because INEC has partitioned the unit to accommodate lesser numbers,” Ayantunji said.He continued, “What has INEC put in place to ensure that some people are not allowed to vote beyond normal hours stipulated by the Electoral Act and by the INEC guidelines?“This is because what we experienced in Ede during the 2022 election is contrary to INEC guidelines and the Electoral Act. APC is committed to free, fair and credible elections.”Speaking on behalf of the Governor Ademola Adeleke Campaign Council, the member representing Ede North/Ede South/Egbedore/Ejigbo Federal Constituency, Bamidele Salam, listed demands of the Accord candidate before and during the election.Salam expressed concerns over election day logistics.He said movement of election materials should not be handled by drivers belonging to the Kazeem Oyewale-led faction of the National Union of Road Transport Workers in the state.The lawmaker alleged that Oyewale was a member of the APC and should not be involved in the movement of election materials.Rather, he said the commission should either engage the NURTW members led by Nurudeen Alowonle or make use of other transport unions such as the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria and the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners.Salam said, “Our party notes that the Electoral Act 2026 has made provision for electronic transmission of results by presiding officers at every polling unit. Our party demands that this provision be strictly complied with by officials of INEC in all polling units.“This is the only way to enhance transparency and gain the confidence of men and women who have spent hours casting their vote on election day.“This will also enable observers and the general public to view the IReV portal as the process continues to the various collation centres and stages.“We have credible information to the effect that hundreds of other leaders, including our Director-General and some of us in the campaign council, have been marked out for arrest and harassment as a weapon of demoralising our supporters in various Local governments.”Related News2027: ICPC warns INEC officials against result manipulation2027: INEC vows every vote will countCVR: Women dominate as INEC records 3.87m new votersIn his remarks, INEC Chairman, Amupitan, declared that the commission had no preferred candidate, but sought a poll that will reflect the lawful choice of the electorate.He assured stakeholders that the commission was fully prepared to deliver an election that will satisfy the standards of the Electoral Act 2026 and published Election Regulations and Guidelines.Regarding the ongoing PVC collection, the chairman said the commission had approved the extension of the exercise at Registration Areas to Friday, July 31, to enable more eligible voters to exercise their civic right.He said during the exercise, a total number of 322,822 PVCs representing 62 per cent of the available PVCs were collected.He disclosed that 2,339,233 registered voters are eligible to vote in the election across the state’s 30 local government areas, 332 registration areas and 3,763 polling units, with 14 political parties fielding candidates.On election day, he said voting would commence at 8.30 am, while Registration Area Centres would open from noon on August 14 to enable personnel, election materials and security operatives to be deployed.He warned that electoral officers whose local governments failed to commence accreditation by 8.30 am would be held accountable.Amupitan said, “Biometric verification (fingerprint or facial matching via BVAS) remains the sole statutory mechanism for accreditation.“There will be no manual accreditation. All polling unit result sheets (Form EC8A) will be scanned and uploaded directly from the polling unit to the IReV portal, guaranteeing public transparency from the moment voting closes.“As we approach the Osun polls, our priority is to build and sustain the ultimate trust of the electorate. Our Bimodal Voter Accreditation System is the heartbeat of our elections; therefore, we are subjecting our systems to a rigorous field test to fortify the sanctity of the ballot during the election.“Therefore, on Saturday, 1st August 2026, we will be conducting a Mock Accreditation across 12 selected local government areas in the state, four per senatorial zone.“The selected LGAs are: Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodun, Boripe, Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Oriade, Obokun, Egbedore, Ede North, Ede South and Ejigbo.”He also said the commission, working through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security and other relevant stakeholders, had mapped localised risk corridors, identified emerging threats, anticipated potential flashpoints, prioritised interventions, and implemented mitigation measures, particularly in parts of Atakumosa East and West, Boripe, Ede North and South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila, Osogbo, Ifelodun, and Oriade Local Government Areas.According to him, the locations would receive specialised, high-visibility security deployments, noting that security forces had been issued strict operational directives to neutralise thuggery, cult movement, and any attempt at ballot disruption while maintaining absolute professional neutrality.Commenting on the last Sunday attack that occurred in Okuku, which resulted in the theft of three batches of uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards, Amupitan said the unfortunate event repeated itself in Ife Central, where some people on a motorcycle stole some PVCs and escaped.“I wish to reassure the electorate and issue a stern warning to perpetrators who stole PVCs that they are functionally ineffective under our system architecture.“Without the live biometric verification of the legitimate cardholder on the BVAS, a stolen card cannot accredit anyone to vote.“The serial numbers of the stolen cards can be permanently blacklisted on our central server, and law enforcement agencies would close in on the perpetrators. “I have directed the ICT Director to ensure a reprint of the stolen PVCs and/or ensure that the affected voters are allowed to use the downloadable PVC, which will be available during this election,” he said.Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the commission had completed 11 of the 13 activities contained in the election timetable, with only the end of campaigns and the conduct of the election outstanding.She added that all sensitive election materials had arrived in the state and were being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo, while non-sensitive materials had already been distributed to all local government areas. “We raised an alarm yesterday that Accord has sponsored hoodlums to destabilise this process. And what happened before the INEC chairman was a validation of our earlier alarms. It indicated that the APC is a peaceful party, while Accord is a violent party.“Since 1999, we have never experienced where people vote till 1 am. But, in 2022, we experienced it. This is even though, by the present arrangements of INEC, it is practically impossible to have an election till even 5 pm, no matter the number, because INEC has partitioned the unit to accommodate lesser numbers,” Ayantunji said.He continued, “What has INEC put in place to ensure that some people are not allowed to vote beyond normal hours stipulated by the Electoral Act and by the INEC guidelines?“This is because what we experienced in Ede during the 2022 election is contrary to INEC guidelines and the Electoral Act. APC is committed to free, fair and credible elections.”Speaking on behalf of the Governor Ademola Adeleke Campaign Council, the member representing Ede North/Ede South/Egbedore/Ejigbo Federal Constituency, Bamidele Salam, listed demands of the Accord candidate before and during the election.Salam expressed concerns over election day logistics.He said movement of election materials should not be handled by drivers belonging to the Kazeem Oyewale-led faction of the National Union of Road Transport Workers in the state.The lawmaker alleged that Oyewale was a member of the APC and should not be involved in the movement of election materials.Rather, he said the commission should either engage the NURTW members led by Nurudeen Alowonle or make use of other transport unions such as the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria and the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners.Salam said, “Our party notes that the Electoral Act 2026 has made provision for electronic transmission of results by presiding officers at every polling unit. Our party demands that this provision be strictly complied with by officials of INEC in all polling units.“This is the only way to enhance transparency and gain the confidence of men and women who have spent hours casting their vote on election day.“This will also enable observers and the general public to view the IReV portal as the process continues to the various collation centres and stages.“We have credible information to the effect that hundreds of other leaders, including our Director-General and some of us in the campaign council, have been marked out for arrest and harassment as a weapon of demoralising our supporters in various Local governments.”Related News2027: ICPC warns INEC officials against result manipulation2027: INEC vows every vote will countCVR: Women dominate as INEC records 3.87m new votersIn his remarks, INEC Chairman, Amupitan, declared that the commission had no preferred candidate, but sought a poll that will reflect the lawful choice of the electorate.He assured stakeholders that the commission was fully prepared to deliver an election that will satisfy the standards of the Electoral Act 2026 and published Election Regulations and Guidelines.Regarding the ongoing PVC collection, the chairman said the commission had approved the extension of the exercise at Registration Areas to Friday, July 31, to enable more eligible voters to exercise their civic right.He said during the exercise, a total number of 322,822 PVCs representing 62 per cent of the available PVCs were collected.He disclosed that 2,339,233 registered voters are eligible to vote in the election across the state’s 30 local government areas, 332 registration areas and 3,763 polling units, with 14 political parties fielding candidates.On election day, he said voting would commence at 8.30 am, while Registration Area Centres would open from noon on August 14 to enable personnel, election materials and security operatives to be deployed.He warned that electoral officers whose local governments failed to commence accreditation by 8.30 am would be held accountable.Amupitan said, “Biometric verification (fingerprint or facial matching via BVAS) remains the sole statutory mechanism for accreditation.“There will be no manual accreditation. All polling unit result sheets (Form EC8A) will be scanned and uploaded directly from the polling unit to the IReV portal, guaranteeing public transparency from the moment voting closes.“As we approach the Osun polls, our priority is to build and sustain the ultimate trust of the electorate. Our Bimodal Voter Accreditation System is the heartbeat of our elections; therefore, we are subjecting our systems to a rigorous field test to fortify the sanctity of the ballot during the election.“Therefore, on Saturday, 1st August 2026, we will be conducting a Mock Accreditation across 12 selected local government areas in the state, four per senatorial zone.“The selected LGAs are: Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodun, Boripe, Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Oriade, Obokun, Egbedore, Ede North, Ede South and Ejigbo.”He also said the commission, working through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security and other relevant stakeholders, had mapped localised risk corridors, identified emerging threats, anticipated potential flashpoints, prioritised interventions, and implemented mitigation measures, particularly in parts of Atakumosa East and West, Boripe, Ede North and South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila, Osogbo, Ifelodun, and Oriade Local Government Areas.According to him, the locations would receive specialised, high-visibility security deployments, noting that security forces had been issued strict operational directives to neutralise thuggery, cult movement, and any attempt at ballot disruption while maintaining absolute professional neutrality.Commenting on the last Sunday attack that occurred in Okuku, which resulted in the theft of three batches of uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards, Amupitan said the unfortunate event repeated itself in Ife Central, where some people on a motorcycle stole some PVCs and escaped.“I wish to reassure the electorate and issue a stern warning to perpetrators who stole PVCs that they are functionally ineffective under our system architecture.“Without the live biometric verification of the legitimate cardholder on the BVAS, a stolen card cannot accredit anyone to vote.“The serial numbers of the stolen cards can be permanently blacklisted on our central server, and law enforcement agencies would close in on the perpetrators. “I have directed the ICT Director to ensure a reprint of the stolen PVCs and/or ensure that the affected voters are allowed to use the downloadable PVC, which will be available during this election,” he said.Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the commission had completed 11 of the 13 activities contained in the election timetable, with only the end of campaigns and the conduct of the election outstanding.She added that all sensitive election materials had arrived in the state and were being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo, while non-sensitive materials had already been distributed to all local government areas. “Since 1999, we have never experienced where people vote till 1 am. But, in 2022, we experienced it. This is even though, by the present arrangements of INEC, it is practically impossible to have an election till even 5 pm, no matter the number, because INEC has partitioned the unit to accommodate lesser numbers,” Ayantunji said.He continued, “What has INEC put in place to ensure that some people are not allowed to vote beyond normal hours stipulated by the Electoral Act and by the INEC guidelines?“This is because what we experienced in Ede during the 2022 election is contrary to INEC guidelines and the Electoral Act. APC is committed to free, fair and credible elections.”Speaking on behalf of the Governor Ademola Adeleke Campaign Council, the member representing Ede North/Ede South/Egbedore/Ejigbo Federal Constituency, Bamidele Salam, listed demands of the Accord candidate before and during the election.Salam expressed concerns over election day logistics.He said movement of election materials should not be handled by drivers belonging to the Kazeem Oyewale-led faction of the National Union of Road Transport Workers in the state.The lawmaker alleged that Oyewale was a member of the APC and should not be involved in the movement of election materials.Rather, he said the commission should either engage the NURTW members led by Nurudeen Alowonle or make use of other transport unions such as the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria and the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners.Salam said, “Our party notes that the Electoral Act 2026 has made provision for electronic transmission of results by presiding officers at every polling unit. Our party demands that this provision be strictly complied with by officials of INEC in all polling units.“This is the only way to enhance transparency and gain the confidence of men and women who have spent hours casting their vote on election day.“This will also enable observers and the general public to view the IReV portal as the process continues to the various collation centres and stages.“We have credible information to the effect that hundreds of other leaders, including our Director-General and some of us in the campaign council, have been marked out for arrest and harassment as a weapon of demoralising our supporters in various Local governments.”Related News2027: ICPC warns INEC officials against result manipulation2027: INEC vows every vote will countCVR: Women dominate as INEC records 3.87m new votersIn his remarks, INEC Chairman, Amupitan, declared that the commission had no preferred candidate, but sought a poll that will reflect the lawful choice of the electorate.He assured stakeholders that the commission was fully prepared to deliver an election that will satisfy the standards of the Electoral Act 2026 and published Election Regulations and Guidelines.Regarding the ongoing PVC collection, the chairman said the commission had approved the extension of the exercise at Registration Areas to Friday, July 31, to enable more eligible voters to exercise their civic right.He said during the exercise, a total number of 322,822 PVCs representing 62 per cent of the available PVCs were collected.He disclosed that 2,339,233 registered voters are eligible to vote in the election across the state’s 30 local government areas, 332 registration areas and 3,763 polling units, with 14 political parties fielding candidates.On election day, he said voting would commence at 8.30 am, while Registration Area Centres would open from noon on August 14 to enable personnel, election materials and security operatives to be deployed.He warned that electoral officers whose local governments failed to commence accreditation by 8.30 am would be held accountable.Amupitan said, “Biometric verification (fingerprint or facial matching via BVAS) remains the sole statutory mechanism for accreditation.“There will be no manual accreditation. All polling unit result sheets (Form EC8A) will be scanned and uploaded directly from the polling unit to the IReV portal, guaranteeing public transparency from the moment voting closes.“As we approach the Osun polls, our priority is to build and sustain the ultimate trust of the electorate. Our Bimodal Voter Accreditation System is the heartbeat of our elections; therefore, we are subjecting our systems to a rigorous field test to fortify the sanctity of the ballot during the election.“Therefore, on Saturday, 1st August 2026, we will be conducting a Mock Accreditation across 12 selected local government areas in the state, four per senatorial zone.“The selected LGAs are: Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodun, Boripe, Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Oriade, Obokun, Egbedore, Ede North, Ede South and Ejigbo.”He also said the commission, working through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security and other relevant stakeholders, had mapped localised risk corridors, identified emerging threats, anticipated potential flashpoints, prioritised interventions, and implemented mitigation measures, particularly in parts of Atakumosa East and West, Boripe, Ede North and South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila, Osogbo, Ifelodun, and Oriade Local Government Areas.According to him, the locations would receive specialised, high-visibility security deployments, noting that security forces had been issued strict operational directives to neutralise thuggery, cult movement, and any attempt at ballot disruption while maintaining absolute professional neutrality.Commenting on the last Sunday attack that occurred in Okuku, which resulted in the theft of three batches of uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards, Amupitan said the unfortunate event repeated itself in Ife Central, where some people on a motorcycle stole some PVCs and escaped.“I wish to reassure the electorate and issue a stern warning to perpetrators who stole PVCs that they are functionally ineffective under our system architecture.“Without the live biometric verification of the legitimate cardholder on the BVAS, a stolen card cannot accredit anyone to vote.“The serial numbers of the stolen cards can be permanently blacklisted on our central server, and law enforcement agencies would close in on the perpetrators. “I have directed the ICT Director to ensure a reprint of the stolen PVCs and/or ensure that the affected voters are allowed to use the downloadable PVC, which will be available during this election,” he said.Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the commission had completed 11 of the 13 activities contained in the election timetable, with only the end of campaigns and the conduct of the election outstanding.She added that all sensitive election materials had arrived in the state and were being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo, while non-sensitive materials had already been distributed to all local government areas. He continued, “What has INEC put in place to ensure that some people are not allowed to vote beyond normal hours stipulated by the Electoral Act and by the INEC guidelines?“This is because what we experienced in Ede during the 2022 election is contrary to INEC guidelines and the Electoral Act. APC is committed to free, fair and credible elections.”Speaking on behalf of the Governor Ademola Adeleke Campaign Council, the member representing Ede North/Ede South/Egbedore/Ejigbo Federal Constituency, Bamidele Salam, listed demands of the Accord candidate before and during the election.Salam expressed concerns over election day logistics.He said movement of election materials should not be handled by drivers belonging to the Kazeem Oyewale-led faction of the National Union of Road Transport Workers in the state.The lawmaker alleged that Oyewale was a member of the APC and should not be involved in the movement of election materials.Rather, he said the commission should either engage the NURTW members led by Nurudeen Alowonle or make use of other transport unions such as the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria and the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners.Salam said, “Our party notes that the Electoral Act 2026 has made provision for electronic transmission of results by presiding officers at every polling unit. Our party demands that this provision be strictly complied with by officials of INEC in all polling units.“This is the only way to enhance transparency and gain the confidence of men and women who have spent hours casting their vote on election day.“This will also enable observers and the general public to view the IReV portal as the process continues to the various collation centres and stages.“We have credible information to the effect that hundreds of other leaders, including our Director-General and some of us in the campaign council, have been marked out for arrest and harassment as a weapon of demoralising our supporters in various Local governments.”Related News2027: ICPC warns INEC officials against result manipulation2027: INEC vows every vote will countCVR: Women dominate as INEC records 3.87m new votersIn his remarks, INEC Chairman, Amupitan, declared that the commission had no preferred candidate, but sought a poll that will reflect the lawful choice of the electorate.He assured stakeholders that the commission was fully prepared to deliver an election that will satisfy the standards of the Electoral Act 2026 and published Election Regulations and Guidelines.Regarding the ongoing PVC collection, the chairman said the commission had approved the extension of the exercise at Registration Areas to Friday, July 31, to enable more eligible voters to exercise their civic right.He said during the exercise, a total number of 322,822 PVCs representing 62 per cent of the available PVCs were collected.He disclosed that 2,339,233 registered voters are eligible to vote in the election across the state’s 30 local government areas, 332 registration areas and 3,763 polling units, with 14 political parties fielding candidates.On election day, he said voting would commence at 8.30 am, while Registration Area Centres would open from noon on August 14 to enable personnel, election materials and security operatives to be deployed.He warned that electoral officers whose local governments failed to commence accreditation by 8.30 am would be held accountable.Amupitan said, “Biometric verification (fingerprint or facial matching via BVAS) remains the sole statutory mechanism for accreditation.“There will be no manual accreditation. All polling unit result sheets (Form EC8A) will be scanned and uploaded directly from the polling unit to the IReV portal, guaranteeing public transparency from the moment voting closes.“As we approach the Osun polls, our priority is to build and sustain the ultimate trust of the electorate. Our Bimodal Voter Accreditation System is the heartbeat of our elections; therefore, we are subjecting our systems to a rigorous field test to fortify the sanctity of the ballot during the election.“Therefore, on Saturday, 1st August 2026, we will be conducting a Mock Accreditation across 12 selected local government areas in the state, four per senatorial zone.“The selected LGAs are: Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodun, Boripe, Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Oriade, Obokun, Egbedore, Ede North, Ede South and Ejigbo.”He also said the commission, working through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security and other relevant stakeholders, had mapped localised risk corridors, identified emerging threats, anticipated potential flashpoints, prioritised interventions, and implemented mitigation measures, particularly in parts of Atakumosa East and West, Boripe, Ede North and South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila, Osogbo, Ifelodun, and Oriade Local Government Areas.According to him, the locations would receive specialised, high-visibility security deployments, noting that security forces had been issued strict operational directives to neutralise thuggery, cult movement, and any attempt at ballot disruption while maintaining absolute professional neutrality.Commenting on the last Sunday attack that occurred in Okuku, which resulted in the theft of three batches of uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards, Amupitan said the unfortunate event repeated itself in Ife Central, where some people on a motorcycle stole some PVCs and escaped.“I wish to reassure the electorate and issue a stern warning to perpetrators who stole PVCs that they are functionally ineffective under our system architecture.“Without the live biometric verification of the legitimate cardholder on the BVAS, a stolen card cannot accredit anyone to vote.“The serial numbers of the stolen cards can be permanently blacklisted on our central server, and law enforcement agencies would close in on the perpetrators. “I have directed the ICT Director to ensure a reprint of the stolen PVCs and/or ensure that the affected voters are allowed to use the downloadable PVC, which will be available during this election,” he said.Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the commission had completed 11 of the 13 activities contained in the election timetable, with only the end of campaigns and the conduct of the election outstanding.She added that all sensitive election materials had arrived in the state and were being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo, while non-sensitive materials had already been distributed to all local government areas. “This is because what we experienced in Ede during the 2022 election is contrary to INEC guidelines and the Electoral Act. APC is committed to free, fair and credible elections.”Speaking on behalf of the Governor Ademola Adeleke Campaign Council, the member representing Ede North/Ede South/Egbedore/Ejigbo Federal Constituency, Bamidele Salam, listed demands of the Accord candidate before and during the election.Salam expressed concerns over election day logistics.He said movement of election materials should not be handled by drivers belonging to the Kazeem Oyewale-led faction of the National Union of Road Transport Workers in the state.The lawmaker alleged that Oyewale was a member of the APC and should not be involved in the movement of election materials.Rather, he said the commission should either engage the NURTW members led by Nurudeen Alowonle or make use of other transport unions such as the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria and the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners.Salam said, “Our party notes that the Electoral Act 2026 has made provision for electronic transmission of results by presiding officers at every polling unit. Our party demands that this provision be strictly complied with by officials of INEC in all polling units.“This is the only way to enhance transparency and gain the confidence of men and women who have spent hours casting their vote on election day.“This will also enable observers and the general public to view the IReV portal as the process continues to the various collation centres and stages.“We have credible information to the effect that hundreds of other leaders, including our Director-General and some of us in the campaign council, have been marked out for arrest and harassment as a weapon of demoralising our supporters in various Local governments.”Related News2027: ICPC warns INEC officials against result manipulation2027: INEC vows every vote will countCVR: Women dominate as INEC records 3.87m new votersIn his remarks, INEC Chairman, Amupitan, declared that the commission had no preferred candidate, but sought a poll that will reflect the lawful choice of the electorate.He assured stakeholders that the commission was fully prepared to deliver an election that will satisfy the standards of the Electoral Act 2026 and published Election Regulations and Guidelines.Regarding the ongoing PVC collection, the chairman said the commission had approved the extension of the exercise at Registration Areas to Friday, July 31, to enable more eligible voters to exercise their civic right.He said during the exercise, a total number of 322,822 PVCs representing 62 per cent of the available PVCs were collected.He disclosed that 2,339,233 registered voters are eligible to vote in the election across the state’s 30 local government areas, 332 registration areas and 3,763 polling units, with 14 political parties fielding candidates.On election day, he said voting would commence at 8.30 am, while Registration Area Centres would open from noon on August 14 to enable personnel, election materials and security operatives to be deployed.He warned that electoral officers whose local governments failed to commence accreditation by 8.30 am would be held accountable.Amupitan said, “Biometric verification (fingerprint or facial matching via BVAS) remains the sole statutory mechanism for accreditation.“There will be no manual accreditation. All polling unit result sheets (Form EC8A) will be scanned and uploaded directly from the polling unit to the IReV portal, guaranteeing public transparency from the moment voting closes.“As we approach the Osun polls, our priority is to build and sustain the ultimate trust of the electorate. Our Bimodal Voter Accreditation System is the heartbeat of our elections; therefore, we are subjecting our systems to a rigorous field test to fortify the sanctity of the ballot during the election.“Therefore, on Saturday, 1st August 2026, we will be conducting a Mock Accreditation across 12 selected local government areas in the state, four per senatorial zone.“The selected LGAs are: Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodun, Boripe, Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Oriade, Obokun, Egbedore, Ede North, Ede South and Ejigbo.”He also said the commission, working through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security and other relevant stakeholders, had mapped localised risk corridors, identified emerging threats, anticipated potential flashpoints, prioritised interventions, and implemented mitigation measures, particularly in parts of Atakumosa East and West, Boripe, Ede North and South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila, Osogbo, Ifelodun, and Oriade Local Government Areas.According to him, the locations would receive specialised, high-visibility security deployments, noting that security forces had been issued strict operational directives to neutralise thuggery, cult movement, and any attempt at ballot disruption while maintaining absolute professional neutrality.Commenting on the last Sunday attack that occurred in Okuku, which resulted in the theft of three batches of uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards, Amupitan said the unfortunate event repeated itself in Ife Central, where some people on a motorcycle stole some PVCs and escaped.“I wish to reassure the electorate and issue a stern warning to perpetrators who stole PVCs that they are functionally ineffective under our system architecture.“Without the live biometric verification of the legitimate cardholder on the BVAS, a stolen card cannot accredit anyone to vote.“The serial numbers of the stolen cards can be permanently blacklisted on our central server, and law enforcement agencies would close in on the perpetrators. “I have directed the ICT Director to ensure a reprint of the stolen PVCs and/or ensure that the affected voters are allowed to use the downloadable PVC, which will be available during this election,” he said.Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the commission had completed 11 of the 13 activities contained in the election timetable, with only the end of campaigns and the conduct of the election outstanding.She added that all sensitive election materials had arrived in the state and were being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo, while non-sensitive materials had already been distributed to all local government areas. Speaking on behalf of the Governor Ademola Adeleke Campaign Council, the member representing Ede North/Ede South/Egbedore/Ejigbo Federal Constituency, Bamidele Salam, listed demands of the Accord candidate before and during the election.Salam expressed concerns over election day logistics.He said movement of election materials should not be handled by drivers belonging to the Kazeem Oyewale-led faction of the National Union of Road Transport Workers in the state.The lawmaker alleged that Oyewale was a member of the APC and should not be involved in the movement of election materials.Rather, he said the commission should either engage the NURTW members led by Nurudeen Alowonle or make use of other transport unions such as the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria and the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners.Salam said, “Our party notes that the Electoral Act 2026 has made provision for electronic transmission of results by presiding officers at every polling unit. Our party demands that this provision be strictly complied with by officials of INEC in all polling units.“This is the only way to enhance transparency and gain the confidence of men and women who have spent hours casting their vote on election day.“This will also enable observers and the general public to view the IReV portal as the process continues to the various collation centres and stages.“We have credible information to the effect that hundreds of other leaders, including our Director-General and some of us in the campaign council, have been marked out for arrest and harassment as a weapon of demoralising our supporters in various Local governments.”Related News2027: ICPC warns INEC officials against result manipulation2027: INEC vows every vote will countCVR: Women dominate as INEC records 3.87m new votersIn his remarks, INEC Chairman, Amupitan, declared that the commission had no preferred candidate, but sought a poll that will reflect the lawful choice of the electorate.He assured stakeholders that the commission was fully prepared to deliver an election that will satisfy the standards of the Electoral Act 2026 and published Election Regulations and Guidelines.Regarding the ongoing PVC collection, the chairman said the commission had approved the extension of the exercise at Registration Areas to Friday, July 31, to enable more eligible voters to exercise their civic right.He said during the exercise, a total number of 322,822 PVCs representing 62 per cent of the available PVCs were collected.He disclosed that 2,339,233 registered voters are eligible to vote in the election across the state’s 30 local government areas, 332 registration areas and 3,763 polling units, with 14 political parties fielding candidates.On election day, he said voting would commence at 8.30 am, while Registration Area Centres would open from noon on August 14 to enable personnel, election materials and security operatives to be deployed.He warned that electoral officers whose local governments failed to commence accreditation by 8.30 am would be held accountable.Amupitan said, “Biometric verification (fingerprint or facial matching via BVAS) remains the sole statutory mechanism for accreditation.“There will be no manual accreditation. All polling unit result sheets (Form EC8A) will be scanned and uploaded directly from the polling unit to the IReV portal, guaranteeing public transparency from the moment voting closes.“As we approach the Osun polls, our priority is to build and sustain the ultimate trust of the electorate. Our Bimodal Voter Accreditation System is the heartbeat of our elections; therefore, we are subjecting our systems to a rigorous field test to fortify the sanctity of the ballot during the election.“Therefore, on Saturday, 1st August 2026, we will be conducting a Mock Accreditation across 12 selected local government areas in the state, four per senatorial zone.“The selected LGAs are: Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodun, Boripe, Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Oriade, Obokun, Egbedore, Ede North, Ede South and Ejigbo.”He also said the commission, working through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security and other relevant stakeholders, had mapped localised risk corridors, identified emerging threats, anticipated potential flashpoints, prioritised interventions, and implemented mitigation measures, particularly in parts of Atakumosa East and West, Boripe, Ede North and South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila, Osogbo, Ifelodun, and Oriade Local Government Areas.According to him, the locations would receive specialised, high-visibility security deployments, noting that security forces had been issued strict operational directives to neutralise thuggery, cult movement, and any attempt at ballot disruption while maintaining absolute professional neutrality.Commenting on the last Sunday attack that occurred in Okuku, which resulted in the theft of three batches of uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards, Amupitan said the unfortunate event repeated itself in Ife Central, where some people on a motorcycle stole some PVCs and escaped.“I wish to reassure the electorate and issue a stern warning to perpetrators who stole PVCs that they are functionally ineffective under our system architecture.“Without the live biometric verification of the legitimate cardholder on the BVAS, a stolen card cannot accredit anyone to vote.“The serial numbers of the stolen cards can be permanently blacklisted on our central server, and law enforcement agencies would close in on the perpetrators. “I have directed the ICT Director to ensure a reprint of the stolen PVCs and/or ensure that the affected voters are allowed to use the downloadable PVC, which will be available during this election,” he said.Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the commission had completed 11 of the 13 activities contained in the election timetable, with only the end of campaigns and the conduct of the election outstanding.She added that all sensitive election materials had arrived in the state and were being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo, while non-sensitive materials had already been distributed to all local government areas. Salam expressed concerns over election day logistics.He said movement of election materials should not be handled by drivers belonging to the Kazeem Oyewale-led faction of the National Union of Road Transport Workers in the state.The lawmaker alleged that Oyewale was a member of the APC and should not be involved in the movement of election materials.Rather, he said the commission should either engage the NURTW members led by Nurudeen Alowonle or make use of other transport unions such as the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria and the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners.Salam said, “Our party notes that the Electoral Act 2026 has made provision for electronic transmission of results by presiding officers at every polling unit. Our party demands that this provision be strictly complied with by officials of INEC in all polling units.“This is the only way to enhance transparency and gain the confidence of men and women who have spent hours casting their vote on election day.“This will also enable observers and the general public to view the IReV portal as the process continues to the various collation centres and stages.“We have credible information to the effect that hundreds of other leaders, including our Director-General and some of us in the campaign council, have been marked out for arrest and harassment as a weapon of demoralising our supporters in various Local governments.”Related News2027: ICPC warns INEC officials against result manipulation2027: INEC vows every vote will countCVR: Women dominate as INEC records 3.87m new votersIn his remarks, INEC Chairman, Amupitan, declared that the commission had no preferred candidate, but sought a poll that will reflect the lawful choice of the electorate.He assured stakeholders that the commission was fully prepared to deliver an election that will satisfy the standards of the Electoral Act 2026 and published Election Regulations and Guidelines.Regarding the ongoing PVC collection, the chairman said the commission had approved the extension of the exercise at Registration Areas to Friday, July 31, to enable more eligible voters to exercise their civic right.He said during the exercise, a total number of 322,822 PVCs representing 62 per cent of the available PVCs were collected.He disclosed that 2,339,233 registered voters are eligible to vote in the election across the state’s 30 local government areas, 332 registration areas and 3,763 polling units, with 14 political parties fielding candidates.On election day, he said voting would commence at 8.30 am, while Registration Area Centres would open from noon on August 14 to enable personnel, election materials and security operatives to be deployed.He warned that electoral officers whose local governments failed to commence accreditation by 8.30 am would be held accountable.Amupitan said, “Biometric verification (fingerprint or facial matching via BVAS) remains the sole statutory mechanism for accreditation.“There will be no manual accreditation. All polling unit result sheets (Form EC8A) will be scanned and uploaded directly from the polling unit to the IReV portal, guaranteeing public transparency from the moment voting closes.“As we approach the Osun polls, our priority is to build and sustain the ultimate trust of the electorate. Our Bimodal Voter Accreditation System is the heartbeat of our elections; therefore, we are subjecting our systems to a rigorous field test to fortify the sanctity of the ballot during the election.“Therefore, on Saturday, 1st August 2026, we will be conducting a Mock Accreditation across 12 selected local government areas in the state, four per senatorial zone.“The selected LGAs are: Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodun, Boripe, Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Oriade, Obokun, Egbedore, Ede North, Ede South and Ejigbo.”He also said the commission, working through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security and other relevant stakeholders, had mapped localised risk corridors, identified emerging threats, anticipated potential flashpoints, prioritised interventions, and implemented mitigation measures, particularly in parts of Atakumosa East and West, Boripe, Ede North and South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila, Osogbo, Ifelodun, and Oriade Local Government Areas.According to him, the locations would receive specialised, high-visibility security deployments, noting that security forces had been issued strict operational directives to neutralise thuggery, cult movement, and any attempt at ballot disruption while maintaining absolute professional neutrality.Commenting on the last Sunday attack that occurred in Okuku, which resulted in the theft of three batches of uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards, Amupitan said the unfortunate event repeated itself in Ife Central, where some people on a motorcycle stole some PVCs and escaped.“I wish to reassure the electorate and issue a stern warning to perpetrators who stole PVCs that they are functionally ineffective under our system architecture.“Without the live biometric verification of the legitimate cardholder on the BVAS, a stolen card cannot accredit anyone to vote.“The serial numbers of the stolen cards can be permanently blacklisted on our central server, and law enforcement agencies would close in on the perpetrators. “I have directed the ICT Director to ensure a reprint of the stolen PVCs and/or ensure that the affected voters are allowed to use the downloadable PVC, which will be available during this election,” he said.Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the commission had completed 11 of the 13 activities contained in the election timetable, with only the end of campaigns and the conduct of the election outstanding.She added that all sensitive election materials had arrived in the state and were being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo, while non-sensitive materials had already been distributed to all local government areas. He said movement of election materials should not be handled by drivers belonging to the Kazeem Oyewale-led faction of the National Union of Road Transport Workers in the state.The lawmaker alleged that Oyewale was a member of the APC and should not be involved in the movement of election materials.Rather, he said the commission should either engage the NURTW members led by Nurudeen Alowonle or make use of other transport unions such as the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria and the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners.Salam said, “Our party notes that the Electoral Act 2026 has made provision for electronic transmission of results by presiding officers at every polling unit. Our party demands that this provision be strictly complied with by officials of INEC in all polling units.“This is the only way to enhance transparency and gain the confidence of men and women who have spent hours casting their vote on election day.“This will also enable observers and the general public to view the IReV portal as the process continues to the various collation centres and stages.“We have credible information to the effect that hundreds of other leaders, including our Director-General and some of us in the campaign council, have been marked out for arrest and harassment as a weapon of demoralising our supporters in various Local governments.”Related News2027: ICPC warns INEC officials against result manipulation2027: INEC vows every vote will countCVR: Women dominate as INEC records 3.87m new votersIn his remarks, INEC Chairman, Amupitan, declared that the commission had no preferred candidate, but sought a poll that will reflect the lawful choice of the electorate.He assured stakeholders that the commission was fully prepared to deliver an election that will satisfy the standards of the Electoral Act 2026 and published Election Regulations and Guidelines.Regarding the ongoing PVC collection, the chairman said the commission had approved the extension of the exercise at Registration Areas to Friday, July 31, to enable more eligible voters to exercise their civic right.He said during the exercise, a total number of 322,822 PVCs representing 62 per cent of the available PVCs were collected.He disclosed that 2,339,233 registered voters are eligible to vote in the election across the state’s 30 local government areas, 332 registration areas and 3,763 polling units, with 14 political parties fielding candidates.On election day, he said voting would commence at 8.30 am, while Registration Area Centres would open from noon on August 14 to enable personnel, election materials and security operatives to be deployed.He warned that electoral officers whose local governments failed to commence accreditation by 8.30 am would be held accountable.Amupitan said, “Biometric verification (fingerprint or facial matching via BVAS) remains the sole statutory mechanism for accreditation.“There will be no manual accreditation. All polling unit result sheets (Form EC8A) will be scanned and uploaded directly from the polling unit to the IReV portal, guaranteeing public transparency from the moment voting closes.“As we approach the Osun polls, our priority is to build and sustain the ultimate trust of the electorate. Our Bimodal Voter Accreditation System is the heartbeat of our elections; therefore, we are subjecting our systems to a rigorous field test to fortify the sanctity of the ballot during the election.“Therefore, on Saturday, 1st August 2026, we will be conducting a Mock Accreditation across 12 selected local government areas in the state, four per senatorial zone.“The selected LGAs are: Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodun, Boripe, Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Oriade, Obokun, Egbedore, Ede North, Ede South and Ejigbo.”He also said the commission, working through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security and other relevant stakeholders, had mapped localised risk corridors, identified emerging threats, anticipated potential flashpoints, prioritised interventions, and implemented mitigation measures, particularly in parts of Atakumosa East and West, Boripe, Ede North and South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila, Osogbo, Ifelodun, and Oriade Local Government Areas.According to him, the locations would receive specialised, high-visibility security deployments, noting that security forces had been issued strict operational directives to neutralise thuggery, cult movement, and any attempt at ballot disruption while maintaining absolute professional neutrality.Commenting on the last Sunday attack that occurred in Okuku, which resulted in the theft of three batches of uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards, Amupitan said the unfortunate event repeated itself in Ife Central, where some people on a motorcycle stole some PVCs and escaped.“I wish to reassure the electorate and issue a stern warning to perpetrators who stole PVCs that they are functionally ineffective under our system architecture.“Without the live biometric verification of the legitimate cardholder on the BVAS, a stolen card cannot accredit anyone to vote.“The serial numbers of the stolen cards can be permanently blacklisted on our central server, and law enforcement agencies would close in on the perpetrators. “I have directed the ICT Director to ensure a reprint of the stolen PVCs and/or ensure that the affected voters are allowed to use the downloadable PVC, which will be available during this election,” he said.Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the commission had completed 11 of the 13 activities contained in the election timetable, with only the end of campaigns and the conduct of the election outstanding.She added that all sensitive election materials had arrived in the state and were being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo, while non-sensitive materials had already been distributed to all local government areas. The lawmaker alleged that Oyewale was a member of the APC and should not be involved in the movement of election materials.Rather, he said the commission should either engage the NURTW members led by Nurudeen Alowonle or make use of other transport unions such as the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria and the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners.Salam said, “Our party notes that the Electoral Act 2026 has made provision for electronic transmission of results by presiding officers at every polling unit. Our party demands that this provision be strictly complied with by officials of INEC in all polling units.“This is the only way to enhance transparency and gain the confidence of men and women who have spent hours casting their vote on election day.“This will also enable observers and the general public to view the IReV portal as the process continues to the various collation centres and stages.“We have credible information to the effect that hundreds of other leaders, including our Director-General and some of us in the campaign council, have been marked out for arrest and harassment as a weapon of demoralising our supporters in various Local governments.”Related News2027: ICPC warns INEC officials against result manipulation2027: INEC vows every vote will countCVR: Women dominate as INEC records 3.87m new votersIn his remarks, INEC Chairman, Amupitan, declared that the commission had no preferred candidate, but sought a poll that will reflect the lawful choice of the electorate.He assured stakeholders that the commission was fully prepared to deliver an election that will satisfy the standards of the Electoral Act 2026 and published Election Regulations and Guidelines.Regarding the ongoing PVC collection, the chairman said the commission had approved the extension of the exercise at Registration Areas to Friday, July 31, to enable more eligible voters to exercise their civic right.He said during the exercise, a total number of 322,822 PVCs representing 62 per cent of the available PVCs were collected.He disclosed that 2,339,233 registered voters are eligible to vote in the election across the state’s 30 local government areas, 332 registration areas and 3,763 polling units, with 14 political parties fielding candidates.On election day, he said voting would commence at 8.30 am, while Registration Area Centres would open from noon on August 14 to enable personnel, election materials and security operatives to be deployed.He warned that electoral officers whose local governments failed to commence accreditation by 8.30 am would be held accountable.Amupitan said, “Biometric verification (fingerprint or facial matching via BVAS) remains the sole statutory mechanism for accreditation.“There will be no manual accreditation. All polling unit result sheets (Form EC8A) will be scanned and uploaded directly from the polling unit to the IReV portal, guaranteeing public transparency from the moment voting closes.“As we approach the Osun polls, our priority is to build and sustain the ultimate trust of the electorate. Our Bimodal Voter Accreditation System is the heartbeat of our elections; therefore, we are subjecting our systems to a rigorous field test to fortify the sanctity of the ballot during the election.“Therefore, on Saturday, 1st August 2026, we will be conducting a Mock Accreditation across 12 selected local government areas in the state, four per senatorial zone.“The selected LGAs are: Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodun, Boripe, Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Oriade, Obokun, Egbedore, Ede North, Ede South and Ejigbo.”He also said the commission, working through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security and other relevant stakeholders, had mapped localised risk corridors, identified emerging threats, anticipated potential flashpoints, prioritised interventions, and implemented mitigation measures, particularly in parts of Atakumosa East and West, Boripe, Ede North and South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila, Osogbo, Ifelodun, and Oriade Local Government Areas.According to him, the locations would receive specialised, high-visibility security deployments, noting that security forces had been issued strict operational directives to neutralise thuggery, cult movement, and any attempt at ballot disruption while maintaining absolute professional neutrality.Commenting on the last Sunday attack that occurred in Okuku, which resulted in the theft of three batches of uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards, Amupitan said the unfortunate event repeated itself in Ife Central, where some people on a motorcycle stole some PVCs and escaped.“I wish to reassure the electorate and issue a stern warning to perpetrators who stole PVCs that they are functionally ineffective under our system architecture.“Without the live biometric verification of the legitimate cardholder on the BVAS, a stolen card cannot accredit anyone to vote.“The serial numbers of the stolen cards can be permanently blacklisted on our central server, and law enforcement agencies would close in on the perpetrators. “I have directed the ICT Director to ensure a reprint of the stolen PVCs and/or ensure that the affected voters are allowed to use the downloadable PVC, which will be available during this election,” he said.Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the commission had completed 11 of the 13 activities contained in the election timetable, with only the end of campaigns and the conduct of the election outstanding.She added that all sensitive election materials had arrived in the state and were being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo, while non-sensitive materials had already been distributed to all local government areas. Rather, he said the commission should either engage the NURTW members led by Nurudeen Alowonle or make use of other transport unions such as the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria and the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners.Salam said, “Our party notes that the Electoral Act 2026 has made provision for electronic transmission of results by presiding officers at every polling unit. Our party demands that this provision be strictly complied with by officials of INEC in all polling units.“This is the only way to enhance transparency and gain the confidence of men and women who have spent hours casting their vote on election day.“This will also enable observers and the general public to view the IReV portal as the process continues to the various collation centres and stages.“We have credible information to the effect that hundreds of other leaders, including our Director-General and some of us in the campaign council, have been marked out for arrest and harassment as a weapon of demoralising our supporters in various Local governments.”Related News2027: ICPC warns INEC officials against result manipulation2027: INEC vows every vote will countCVR: Women dominate as INEC records 3.87m new votersIn his remarks, INEC Chairman, Amupitan, declared that the commission had no preferred candidate, but sought a poll that will reflect the lawful choice of the electorate.He assured stakeholders that the commission was fully prepared to deliver an election that will satisfy the standards of the Electoral Act 2026 and published Election Regulations and Guidelines.Regarding the ongoing PVC collection, the chairman said the commission had approved the extension of the exercise at Registration Areas to Friday, July 31, to enable more eligible voters to exercise their civic right.He said during the exercise, a total number of 322,822 PVCs representing 62 per cent of the available PVCs were collected.He disclosed that 2,339,233 registered voters are eligible to vote in the election across the state’s 30 local government areas, 332 registration areas and 3,763 polling units, with 14 political parties fielding candidates.On election day, he said voting would commence at 8.30 am, while Registration Area Centres would open from noon on August 14 to enable personnel, election materials and security operatives to be deployed.He warned that electoral officers whose local governments failed to commence accreditation by 8.30 am would be held accountable.Amupitan said, “Biometric verification (fingerprint or facial matching via BVAS) remains the sole statutory mechanism for accreditation.“There will be no manual accreditation. All polling unit result sheets (Form EC8A) will be scanned and uploaded directly from the polling unit to the IReV portal, guaranteeing public transparency from the moment voting closes.“As we approach the Osun polls, our priority is to build and sustain the ultimate trust of the electorate. Our Bimodal Voter Accreditation System is the heartbeat of our elections; therefore, we are subjecting our systems to a rigorous field test to fortify the sanctity of the ballot during the election.“Therefore, on Saturday, 1st August 2026, we will be conducting a Mock Accreditation across 12 selected local government areas in the state, four per senatorial zone.“The selected LGAs are: Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodun, Boripe, Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Oriade, Obokun, Egbedore, Ede North, Ede South and Ejigbo.”He also said the commission, working through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security and other relevant stakeholders, had mapped localised risk corridors, identified emerging threats, anticipated potential flashpoints, prioritised interventions, and implemented mitigation measures, particularly in parts of Atakumosa East and West, Boripe, Ede North and South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila, Osogbo, Ifelodun, and Oriade Local Government Areas.According to him, the locations would receive specialised, high-visibility security deployments, noting that security forces had been issued strict operational directives to neutralise thuggery, cult movement, and any attempt at ballot disruption while maintaining absolute professional neutrality.Commenting on the last Sunday attack that occurred in Okuku, which resulted in the theft of three batches of uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards, Amupitan said the unfortunate event repeated itself in Ife Central, where some people on a motorcycle stole some PVCs and escaped.“I wish to reassure the electorate and issue a stern warning to perpetrators who stole PVCs that they are functionally ineffective under our system architecture.“Without the live biometric verification of the legitimate cardholder on the BVAS, a stolen card cannot accredit anyone to vote.“The serial numbers of the stolen cards can be permanently blacklisted on our central server, and law enforcement agencies would close in on the perpetrators. “I have directed the ICT Director to ensure a reprint of the stolen PVCs and/or ensure that the affected voters are allowed to use the downloadable PVC, which will be available during this election,” he said.Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the commission had completed 11 of the 13 activities contained in the election timetable, with only the end of campaigns and the conduct of the election outstanding.She added that all sensitive election materials had arrived in the state and were being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo, while non-sensitive materials had already been distributed to all local government areas. Salam said, “Our party notes that the Electoral Act 2026 has made provision for electronic transmission of results by presiding officers at every polling unit. Our party demands that this provision be strictly complied with by officials of INEC in all polling units.“This is the only way to enhance transparency and gain the confidence of men and women who have spent hours casting their vote on election day.“This will also enable observers and the general public to view the IReV portal as the process continues to the various collation centres and stages.“We have credible information to the effect that hundreds of other leaders, including our Director-General and some of us in the campaign council, have been marked out for arrest and harassment as a weapon of demoralising our supporters in various Local governments.”Related News2027: ICPC warns INEC officials against result manipulation2027: INEC vows every vote will countCVR: Women dominate as INEC records 3.87m new votersIn his remarks, INEC Chairman, Amupitan, declared that the commission had no preferred candidate, but sought a poll that will reflect the lawful choice of the electorate.He assured stakeholders that the commission was fully prepared to deliver an election that will satisfy the standards of the Electoral Act 2026 and published Election Regulations and Guidelines.Regarding the ongoing PVC collection, the chairman said the commission had approved the extension of the exercise at Registration Areas to Friday, July 31, to enable more eligible voters to exercise their civic right.He said during the exercise, a total number of 322,822 PVCs representing 62 per cent of the available PVCs were collected.He disclosed that 2,339,233 registered voters are eligible to vote in the election across the state’s 30 local government areas, 332 registration areas and 3,763 polling units, with 14 political parties fielding candidates.On election day, he said voting would commence at 8.30 am, while Registration Area Centres would open from noon on August 14 to enable personnel, election materials and security operatives to be deployed.He warned that electoral officers whose local governments failed to commence accreditation by 8.30 am would be held accountable.Amupitan said, “Biometric verification (fingerprint or facial matching via BVAS) remains the sole statutory mechanism for accreditation.“There will be no manual accreditation. All polling unit result sheets (Form EC8A) will be scanned and uploaded directly from the polling unit to the IReV portal, guaranteeing public transparency from the moment voting closes.“As we approach the Osun polls, our priority is to build and sustain the ultimate trust of the electorate. Our Bimodal Voter Accreditation System is the heartbeat of our elections; therefore, we are subjecting our systems to a rigorous field test to fortify the sanctity of the ballot during the election.“Therefore, on Saturday, 1st August 2026, we will be conducting a Mock Accreditation across 12 selected local government areas in the state, four per senatorial zone.“The selected LGAs are: Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodun, Boripe, Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Oriade, Obokun, Egbedore, Ede North, Ede South and Ejigbo.”He also said the commission, working through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security and other relevant stakeholders, had mapped localised risk corridors, identified emerging threats, anticipated potential flashpoints, prioritised interventions, and implemented mitigation measures, particularly in parts of Atakumosa East and West, Boripe, Ede North and South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila, Osogbo, Ifelodun, and Oriade Local Government Areas.According to him, the locations would receive specialised, high-visibility security deployments, noting that security forces had been issued strict operational directives to neutralise thuggery, cult movement, and any attempt at ballot disruption while maintaining absolute professional neutrality.Commenting on the last Sunday attack that occurred in Okuku, which resulted in the theft of three batches of uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards, Amupitan said the unfortunate event repeated itself in Ife Central, where some people on a motorcycle stole some PVCs and escaped.“I wish to reassure the electorate and issue a stern warning to perpetrators who stole PVCs that they are functionally ineffective under our system architecture.“Without the live biometric verification of the legitimate cardholder on the BVAS, a stolen card cannot accredit anyone to vote.“The serial numbers of the stolen cards can be permanently blacklisted on our central server, and law enforcement agencies would close in on the perpetrators. “I have directed the ICT Director to ensure a reprint of the stolen PVCs and/or ensure that the affected voters are allowed to use the downloadable PVC, which will be available during this election,” he said.Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the commission had completed 11 of the 13 activities contained in the election timetable, with only the end of campaigns and the conduct of the election outstanding.She added that all sensitive election materials had arrived in the state and were being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo, while non-sensitive materials had already been distributed to all local government areas. “This is the only way to enhance transparency and gain the confidence of men and women who have spent hours casting their vote on election day.“This will also enable observers and the general public to view the IReV portal as the process continues to the various collation centres and stages.“We have credible information to the effect that hundreds of other leaders, including our Director-General and some of us in the campaign council, have been marked out for arrest and harassment as a weapon of demoralising our supporters in various Local governments.”Related News2027: ICPC warns INEC officials against result manipulation2027: INEC vows every vote will countCVR: Women dominate as INEC records 3.87m new votersIn his remarks, INEC Chairman, Amupitan, declared that the commission had no preferred candidate, but sought a poll that will reflect the lawful choice of the electorate.He assured stakeholders that the commission was fully prepared to deliver an election that will satisfy the standards of the Electoral Act 2026 and published Election Regulations and Guidelines.Regarding the ongoing PVC collection, the chairman said the commission had approved the extension of the exercise at Registration Areas to Friday, July 31, to enable more eligible voters to exercise their civic right.He said during the exercise, a total number of 322,822 PVCs representing 62 per cent of the available PVCs were collected.He disclosed that 2,339,233 registered voters are eligible to vote in the election across the state’s 30 local government areas, 332 registration areas and 3,763 polling units, with 14 political parties fielding candidates.On election day, he said voting would commence at 8.30 am, while Registration Area Centres would open from noon on August 14 to enable personnel, election materials and security operatives to be deployed.He warned that electoral officers whose local governments failed to commence accreditation by 8.30 am would be held accountable.Amupitan said, “Biometric verification (fingerprint or facial matching via BVAS) remains the sole statutory mechanism for accreditation.“There will be no manual accreditation. All polling unit result sheets (Form EC8A) will be scanned and uploaded directly from the polling unit to the IReV portal, guaranteeing public transparency from the moment voting closes.“As we approach the Osun polls, our priority is to build and sustain the ultimate trust of the electorate. Our Bimodal Voter Accreditation System is the heartbeat of our elections; therefore, we are subjecting our systems to a rigorous field test to fortify the sanctity of the ballot during the election.“Therefore, on Saturday, 1st August 2026, we will be conducting a Mock Accreditation across 12 selected local government areas in the state, four per senatorial zone.“The selected LGAs are: Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodun, Boripe, Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Oriade, Obokun, Egbedore, Ede North, Ede South and Ejigbo.”He also said the commission, working through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security and other relevant stakeholders, had mapped localised risk corridors, identified emerging threats, anticipated potential flashpoints, prioritised interventions, and implemented mitigation measures, particularly in parts of Atakumosa East and West, Boripe, Ede North and South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila, Osogbo, Ifelodun, and Oriade Local Government Areas.According to him, the locations would receive specialised, high-visibility security deployments, noting that security forces had been issued strict operational directives to neutralise thuggery, cult movement, and any attempt at ballot disruption while maintaining absolute professional neutrality.Commenting on the last Sunday attack that occurred in Okuku, which resulted in the theft of three batches of uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards, Amupitan said the unfortunate event repeated itself in Ife Central, where some people on a motorcycle stole some PVCs and escaped.“I wish to reassure the electorate and issue a stern warning to perpetrators who stole PVCs that they are functionally ineffective under our system architecture.“Without the live biometric verification of the legitimate cardholder on the BVAS, a stolen card cannot accredit anyone to vote.“The serial numbers of the stolen cards can be permanently blacklisted on our central server, and law enforcement agencies would close in on the perpetrators. “I have directed the ICT Director to ensure a reprint of the stolen PVCs and/or ensure that the affected voters are allowed to use the downloadable PVC, which will be available during this election,” he said.Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the commission had completed 11 of the 13 activities contained in the election timetable, with only the end of campaigns and the conduct of the election outstanding.She added that all sensitive election materials had arrived in the state and were being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo, while non-sensitive materials had already been distributed to all local government areas. “This will also enable observers and the general public to view the IReV portal as the process continues to the various collation centres and stages.“We have credible information to the effect that hundreds of other leaders, including our Director-General and some of us in the campaign council, have been marked out for arrest and harassment as a weapon of demoralising our supporters in various Local governments.”Related News2027: ICPC warns INEC officials against result manipulation2027: INEC vows every vote will countCVR: Women dominate as INEC records 3.87m new votersIn his remarks, INEC Chairman, Amupitan, declared that the commission had no preferred candidate, but sought a poll that will reflect the lawful choice of the electorate.He assured stakeholders that the commission was fully prepared to deliver an election that will satisfy the standards of the Electoral Act 2026 and published Election Regulations and Guidelines.Regarding the ongoing PVC collection, the chairman said the commission had approved the extension of the exercise at Registration Areas to Friday, July 31, to enable more eligible voters to exercise their civic right.He said during the exercise, a total number of 322,822 PVCs representing 62 per cent of the available PVCs were collected.He disclosed that 2,339,233 registered voters are eligible to vote in the election across the state’s 30 local government areas, 332 registration areas and 3,763 polling units, with 14 political parties fielding candidates.On election day, he said voting would commence at 8.30 am, while Registration Area Centres would open from noon on August 14 to enable personnel, election materials and security operatives to be deployed.He warned that electoral officers whose local governments failed to commence accreditation by 8.30 am would be held accountable.Amupitan said, “Biometric verification (fingerprint or facial matching via BVAS) remains the sole statutory mechanism for accreditation.“There will be no manual accreditation. All polling unit result sheets (Form EC8A) will be scanned and uploaded directly from the polling unit to the IReV portal, guaranteeing public transparency from the moment voting closes.“As we approach the Osun polls, our priority is to build and sustain the ultimate trust of the electorate. Our Bimodal Voter Accreditation System is the heartbeat of our elections; therefore, we are subjecting our systems to a rigorous field test to fortify the sanctity of the ballot during the election.“Therefore, on Saturday, 1st August 2026, we will be conducting a Mock Accreditation across 12 selected local government areas in the state, four per senatorial zone.“The selected LGAs are: Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodun, Boripe, Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Oriade, Obokun, Egbedore, Ede North, Ede South and Ejigbo.”He also said the commission, working through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security and other relevant stakeholders, had mapped localised risk corridors, identified emerging threats, anticipated potential flashpoints, prioritised interventions, and implemented mitigation measures, particularly in parts of Atakumosa East and West, Boripe, Ede North and South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila, Osogbo, Ifelodun, and Oriade Local Government Areas.According to him, the locations would receive specialised, high-visibility security deployments, noting that security forces had been issued strict operational directives to neutralise thuggery, cult movement, and any attempt at ballot disruption while maintaining absolute professional neutrality.Commenting on the last Sunday attack that occurred in Okuku, which resulted in the theft of three batches of uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards, Amupitan said the unfortunate event repeated itself in Ife Central, where some people on a motorcycle stole some PVCs and escaped.“I wish to reassure the electorate and issue a stern warning to perpetrators who stole PVCs that they are functionally ineffective under our system architecture.“Without the live biometric verification of the legitimate cardholder on the BVAS, a stolen card cannot accredit anyone to vote.“The serial numbers of the stolen cards can be permanently blacklisted on our central server, and law enforcement agencies would close in on the perpetrators. “I have directed the ICT Director to ensure a reprint of the stolen PVCs and/or ensure that the affected voters are allowed to use the downloadable PVC, which will be available during this election,” he said.Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the commission had completed 11 of the 13 activities contained in the election timetable, with only the end of campaigns and the conduct of the election outstanding.She added that all sensitive election materials had arrived in the state and were being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo, while non-sensitive materials had already been distributed to all local government areas. “We have credible information to the effect that hundreds of other leaders, including our Director-General and some of us in the campaign council, have been marked out for arrest and harassment as a weapon of demoralising our supporters in various Local governments.”Related News2027: ICPC warns INEC officials against result manipulation2027: INEC vows every vote will countCVR: Women dominate as INEC records 3.87m new votersIn his remarks, INEC Chairman, Amupitan, declared that the commission had no preferred candidate, but sought a poll that will reflect the lawful choice of the electorate.He assured stakeholders that the commission was fully prepared to deliver an election that will satisfy the standards of the Electoral Act 2026 and published Election Regulations and Guidelines.Regarding the ongoing PVC collection, the chairman said the commission had approved the extension of the exercise at Registration Areas to Friday, July 31, to enable more eligible voters to exercise their civic right.He said during the exercise, a total number of 322,822 PVCs representing 62 per cent of the available PVCs were collected.He disclosed that 2,339,233 registered voters are eligible to vote in the election across the state’s 30 local government areas, 332 registration areas and 3,763 polling units, with 14 political parties fielding candidates.On election day, he said voting would commence at 8.30 am, while Registration Area Centres would open from noon on August 14 to enable personnel, election materials and security operatives to be deployed.He warned that electoral officers whose local governments failed to commence accreditation by 8.30 am would be held accountable.Amupitan said, “Biometric verification (fingerprint or facial matching via BVAS) remains the sole statutory mechanism for accreditation.“There will be no manual accreditation. All polling unit result sheets (Form EC8A) will be scanned and uploaded directly from the polling unit to the IReV portal, guaranteeing public transparency from the moment voting closes.“As we approach the Osun polls, our priority is to build and sustain the ultimate trust of the electorate. Our Bimodal Voter Accreditation System is the heartbeat of our elections; therefore, we are subjecting our systems to a rigorous field test to fortify the sanctity of the ballot during the election.“Therefore, on Saturday, 1st August 2026, we will be conducting a Mock Accreditation across 12 selected local government areas in the state, four per senatorial zone.“The selected LGAs are: Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodun, Boripe, Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Oriade, Obokun, Egbedore, Ede North, Ede South and Ejigbo.”He also said the commission, working through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security and other relevant stakeholders, had mapped localised risk corridors, identified emerging threats, anticipated potential flashpoints, prioritised interventions, and implemented mitigation measures, particularly in parts of Atakumosa East and West, Boripe, Ede North and South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila, Osogbo, Ifelodun, and Oriade Local Government Areas.According to him, the locations would receive specialised, high-visibility security deployments, noting that security forces had been issued strict operational directives to neutralise thuggery, cult movement, and any attempt at ballot disruption while maintaining absolute professional neutrality.Commenting on the last Sunday attack that occurred in Okuku, which resulted in the theft of three batches of uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards, Amupitan said the unfortunate event repeated itself in Ife Central, where some people on a motorcycle stole some PVCs and escaped.“I wish to reassure the electorate and issue a stern warning to perpetrators who stole PVCs that they are functionally ineffective under our system architecture.“Without the live biometric verification of the legitimate cardholder on the BVAS, a stolen card cannot accredit anyone to vote.“The serial numbers of the stolen cards can be permanently blacklisted on our central server, and law enforcement agencies would close in on the perpetrators. “I have directed the ICT Director to ensure a reprint of the stolen PVCs and/or ensure that the affected voters are allowed to use the downloadable PVC, which will be available during this election,” he said.Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the commission had completed 11 of the 13 activities contained in the election timetable, with only the end of campaigns and the conduct of the election outstanding.She added that all sensitive election materials had arrived in the state and were being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo, while non-sensitive materials had already been distributed to all local government areas. In his remarks, INEC Chairman, Amupitan, declared that the commission had no preferred candidate, but sought a poll that will reflect the lawful choice of the electorate.He assured stakeholders that the commission was fully prepared to deliver an election that will satisfy the standards of the Electoral Act 2026 and published Election Regulations and Guidelines.Regarding the ongoing PVC collection, the chairman said the commission had approved the extension of the exercise at Registration Areas to Friday, July 31, to enable more eligible voters to exercise their civic right.He said during the exercise, a total number of 322,822 PVCs representing 62 per cent of the available PVCs were collected.He disclosed that 2,339,233 registered voters are eligible to vote in the election across the state’s 30 local government areas, 332 registration areas and 3,763 polling units, with 14 political parties fielding candidates.On election day, he said voting would commence at 8.30 am, while Registration Area Centres would open from noon on August 14 to enable personnel, election materials and security operatives to be deployed.He warned that electoral officers whose local governments failed to commence accreditation by 8.30 am would be held accountable.Amupitan said, “Biometric verification (fingerprint or facial matching via BVAS) remains the sole statutory mechanism for accreditation.“There will be no manual accreditation. All polling unit result sheets (Form EC8A) will be scanned and uploaded directly from the polling unit to the IReV portal, guaranteeing public transparency from the moment voting closes.“As we approach the Osun polls, our priority is to build and sustain the ultimate trust of the electorate. Our Bimodal Voter Accreditation System is the heartbeat of our elections; therefore, we are subjecting our systems to a rigorous field test to fortify the sanctity of the ballot during the election.“Therefore, on Saturday, 1st August 2026, we will be conducting a Mock Accreditation across 12 selected local government areas in the state, four per senatorial zone.“The selected LGAs are: Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodun, Boripe, Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Oriade, Obokun, Egbedore, Ede North, Ede South and Ejigbo.”He also said the commission, working through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security and other relevant stakeholders, had mapped localised risk corridors, identified emerging threats, anticipated potential flashpoints, prioritised interventions, and implemented mitigation measures, particularly in parts of Atakumosa East and West, Boripe, Ede North and South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila, Osogbo, Ifelodun, and Oriade Local Government Areas.According to him, the locations would receive specialised, high-visibility security deployments, noting that security forces had been issued strict operational directives to neutralise thuggery, cult movement, and any attempt at ballot disruption while maintaining absolute professional neutrality.Commenting on the last Sunday attack that occurred in Okuku, which resulted in the theft of three batches of uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards, Amupitan said the unfortunate event repeated itself in Ife Central, where some people on a motorcycle stole some PVCs and escaped.“I wish to reassure the electorate and issue a stern warning to perpetrators who stole PVCs that they are functionally ineffective under our system architecture.“Without the live biometric verification of the legitimate cardholder on the BVAS, a stolen card cannot accredit anyone to vote.“The serial numbers of the stolen cards can be permanently blacklisted on our central server, and law enforcement agencies would close in on the perpetrators. “I have directed the ICT Director to ensure a reprint of the stolen PVCs and/or ensure that the affected voters are allowed to use the downloadable PVC, which will be available during this election,” he said.Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the commission had completed 11 of the 13 activities contained in the election timetable, with only the end of campaigns and the conduct of the election outstanding.She added that all sensitive election materials had arrived in the state and were being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo, while non-sensitive materials had already been distributed to all local government areas. He assured stakeholders that the commission was fully prepared to deliver an election that will satisfy the standards of the Electoral Act 2026 and published Election Regulations and Guidelines.Regarding the ongoing PVC collection, the chairman said the commission had approved the extension of the exercise at Registration Areas to Friday, July 31, to enable more eligible voters to exercise their civic right.He said during the exercise, a total number of 322,822 PVCs representing 62 per cent of the available PVCs were collected.He disclosed that 2,339,233 registered voters are eligible to vote in the election across the state’s 30 local government areas, 332 registration areas and 3,763 polling units, with 14 political parties fielding candidates.On election day, he said voting would commence at 8.30 am, while Registration Area Centres would open from noon on August 14 to enable personnel, election materials and security operatives to be deployed.He warned that electoral officers whose local governments failed to commence accreditation by 8.30 am would be held accountable.Amupitan said, “Biometric verification (fingerprint or facial matching via BVAS) remains the sole statutory mechanism for accreditation.“There will be no manual accreditation. All polling unit result sheets (Form EC8A) will be scanned and uploaded directly from the polling unit to the IReV portal, guaranteeing public transparency from the moment voting closes.“As we approach the Osun polls, our priority is to build and sustain the ultimate trust of the electorate. Our Bimodal Voter Accreditation System is the heartbeat of our elections; therefore, we are subjecting our systems to a rigorous field test to fortify the sanctity of the ballot during the election.“Therefore, on Saturday, 1st August 2026, we will be conducting a Mock Accreditation across 12 selected local government areas in the state, four per senatorial zone.“The selected LGAs are: Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodun, Boripe, Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Oriade, Obokun, Egbedore, Ede North, Ede South and Ejigbo.”He also said the commission, working through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security and other relevant stakeholders, had mapped localised risk corridors, identified emerging threats, anticipated potential flashpoints, prioritised interventions, and implemented mitigation measures, particularly in parts of Atakumosa East and West, Boripe, Ede North and South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila, Osogbo, Ifelodun, and Oriade Local Government Areas.According to him, the locations would receive specialised, high-visibility security deployments, noting that security forces had been issued strict operational directives to neutralise thuggery, cult movement, and any attempt at ballot disruption while maintaining absolute professional neutrality.Commenting on the last Sunday attack that occurred in Okuku, which resulted in the theft of three batches of uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards, Amupitan said the unfortunate event repeated itself in Ife Central, where some people on a motorcycle stole some PVCs and escaped.“I wish to reassure the electorate and issue a stern warning to perpetrators who stole PVCs that they are functionally ineffective under our system architecture.“Without the live biometric verification of the legitimate cardholder on the BVAS, a stolen card cannot accredit anyone to vote.“The serial numbers of the stolen cards can be permanently blacklisted on our central server, and law enforcement agencies would close in on the perpetrators. “I have directed the ICT Director to ensure a reprint of the stolen PVCs and/or ensure that the affected voters are allowed to use the downloadable PVC, which will be available during this election,” he said.Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the commission had completed 11 of the 13 activities contained in the election timetable, with only the end of campaigns and the conduct of the election outstanding.She added that all sensitive election materials had arrived in the state and were being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo, while non-sensitive materials had already been distributed to all local government areas. Regarding the ongoing PVC collection, the chairman said the commission had approved the extension of the exercise at Registration Areas to Friday, July 31, to enable more eligible voters to exercise their civic right.He said during the exercise, a total number of 322,822 PVCs representing 62 per cent of the available PVCs were collected.He disclosed that 2,339,233 registered voters are eligible to vote in the election across the state’s 30 local government areas, 332 registration areas and 3,763 polling units, with 14 political parties fielding candidates.On election day, he said voting would commence at 8.30 am, while Registration Area Centres would open from noon on August 14 to enable personnel, election materials and security operatives to be deployed.He warned that electoral officers whose local governments failed to commence accreditation by 8.30 am would be held accountable.Amupitan said, “Biometric verification (fingerprint or facial matching via BVAS) remains the sole statutory mechanism for accreditation.“There will be no manual accreditation. All polling unit result sheets (Form EC8A) will be scanned and uploaded directly from the polling unit to the IReV portal, guaranteeing public transparency from the moment voting closes.“As we approach the Osun polls, our priority is to build and sustain the ultimate trust of the electorate. Our Bimodal Voter Accreditation System is the heartbeat of our elections; therefore, we are subjecting our systems to a rigorous field test to fortify the sanctity of the ballot during the election.“Therefore, on Saturday, 1st August 2026, we will be conducting a Mock Accreditation across 12 selected local government areas in the state, four per senatorial zone.“The selected LGAs are: Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodun, Boripe, Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Oriade, Obokun, Egbedore, Ede North, Ede South and Ejigbo.”He also said the commission, working through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security and other relevant stakeholders, had mapped localised risk corridors, identified emerging threats, anticipated potential flashpoints, prioritised interventions, and implemented mitigation measures, particularly in parts of Atakumosa East and West, Boripe, Ede North and South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila, Osogbo, Ifelodun, and Oriade Local Government Areas.According to him, the locations would receive specialised, high-visibility security deployments, noting that security forces had been issued strict operational directives to neutralise thuggery, cult movement, and any attempt at ballot disruption while maintaining absolute professional neutrality.Commenting on the last Sunday attack that occurred in Okuku, which resulted in the theft of three batches of uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards, Amupitan said the unfortunate event repeated itself in Ife Central, where some people on a motorcycle stole some PVCs and escaped.“I wish to reassure the electorate and issue a stern warning to perpetrators who stole PVCs that they are functionally ineffective under our system architecture.“Without the live biometric verification of the legitimate cardholder on the BVAS, a stolen card cannot accredit anyone to vote.“The serial numbers of the stolen cards can be permanently blacklisted on our central server, and law enforcement agencies would close in on the perpetrators. “I have directed the ICT Director to ensure a reprint of the stolen PVCs and/or ensure that the affected voters are allowed to use the downloadable PVC, which will be available during this election,” he said.Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the commission had completed 11 of the 13 activities contained in the election timetable, with only the end of campaigns and the conduct of the election outstanding.She added that all sensitive election materials had arrived in the state and were being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo, while non-sensitive materials had already been distributed to all local government areas. He said during the exercise, a total number of 322,822 PVCs representing 62 per cent of the available PVCs were collected.He disclosed that 2,339,233 registered voters are eligible to vote in the election across the state’s 30 local government areas, 332 registration areas and 3,763 polling units, with 14 political parties fielding candidates.On election day, he said voting would commence at 8.30 am, while Registration Area Centres would open from noon on August 14 to enable personnel, election materials and security operatives to be deployed.He warned that electoral officers whose local governments failed to commence accreditation by 8.30 am would be held accountable.Amupitan said, “Biometric verification (fingerprint or facial matching via BVAS) remains the sole statutory mechanism for accreditation.“There will be no manual accreditation. All polling unit result sheets (Form EC8A) will be scanned and uploaded directly from the polling unit to the IReV portal, guaranteeing public transparency from the moment voting closes.“As we approach the Osun polls, our priority is to build and sustain the ultimate trust of the electorate. Our Bimodal Voter Accreditation System is the heartbeat of our elections; therefore, we are subjecting our systems to a rigorous field test to fortify the sanctity of the ballot during the election.“Therefore, on Saturday, 1st August 2026, we will be conducting a Mock Accreditation across 12 selected local government areas in the state, four per senatorial zone.“The selected LGAs are: Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodun, Boripe, Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Oriade, Obokun, Egbedore, Ede North, Ede South and Ejigbo.”He also said the commission, working through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security and other relevant stakeholders, had mapped localised risk corridors, identified emerging threats, anticipated potential flashpoints, prioritised interventions, and implemented mitigation measures, particularly in parts of Atakumosa East and West, Boripe, Ede North and South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila, Osogbo, Ifelodun, and Oriade Local Government Areas.According to him, the locations would receive specialised, high-visibility security deployments, noting that security forces had been issued strict operational directives to neutralise thuggery, cult movement, and any attempt at ballot disruption while maintaining absolute professional neutrality.Commenting on the last Sunday attack that occurred in Okuku, which resulted in the theft of three batches of uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards, Amupitan said the unfortunate event repeated itself in Ife Central, where some people on a motorcycle stole some PVCs and escaped.“I wish to reassure the electorate and issue a stern warning to perpetrators who stole PVCs that they are functionally ineffective under our system architecture.“Without the live biometric verification of the legitimate cardholder on the BVAS, a stolen card cannot accredit anyone to vote.“The serial numbers of the stolen cards can be permanently blacklisted on our central server, and law enforcement agencies would close in on the perpetrators. “I have directed the ICT Director to ensure a reprint of the stolen PVCs and/or ensure that the affected voters are allowed to use the downloadable PVC, which will be available during this election,” he said.Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the commission had completed 11 of the 13 activities contained in the election timetable, with only the end of campaigns and the conduct of the election outstanding.She added that all sensitive election materials had arrived in the state and were being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo, while non-sensitive materials had already been distributed to all local government areas. He disclosed that 2,339,233 registered voters are eligible to vote in the election across the state’s 30 local government areas, 332 registration areas and 3,763 polling units, with 14 political parties fielding candidates.On election day, he said voting would commence at 8.30 am, while Registration Area Centres would open from noon on August 14 to enable personnel, election materials and security operatives to be deployed.He warned that electoral officers whose local governments failed to commence accreditation by 8.30 am would be held accountable.Amupitan said, “Biometric verification (fingerprint or facial matching via BVAS) remains the sole statutory mechanism for accreditation.“There will be no manual accreditation. All polling unit result sheets (Form EC8A) will be scanned and uploaded directly from the polling unit to the IReV portal, guaranteeing public transparency from the moment voting closes.“As we approach the Osun polls, our priority is to build and sustain the ultimate trust of the electorate. Our Bimodal Voter Accreditation System is the heartbeat of our elections; therefore, we are subjecting our systems to a rigorous field test to fortify the sanctity of the ballot during the election.“Therefore, on Saturday, 1st August 2026, we will be conducting a Mock Accreditation across 12 selected local government areas in the state, four per senatorial zone.“The selected LGAs are: Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodun, Boripe, Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Oriade, Obokun, Egbedore, Ede North, Ede South and Ejigbo.”He also said the commission, working through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security and other relevant stakeholders, had mapped localised risk corridors, identified emerging threats, anticipated potential flashpoints, prioritised interventions, and implemented mitigation measures, particularly in parts of Atakumosa East and West, Boripe, Ede North and South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila, Osogbo, Ifelodun, and Oriade Local Government Areas.According to him, the locations would receive specialised, high-visibility security deployments, noting that security forces had been issued strict operational directives to neutralise thuggery, cult movement, and any attempt at ballot disruption while maintaining absolute professional neutrality.Commenting on the last Sunday attack that occurred in Okuku, which resulted in the theft of three batches of uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards, Amupitan said the unfortunate event repeated itself in Ife Central, where some people on a motorcycle stole some PVCs and escaped.“I wish to reassure the electorate and issue a stern warning to perpetrators who stole PVCs that they are functionally ineffective under our system architecture.“Without the live biometric verification of the legitimate cardholder on the BVAS, a stolen card cannot accredit anyone to vote.“The serial numbers of the stolen cards can be permanently blacklisted on our central server, and law enforcement agencies would close in on the perpetrators. “I have directed the ICT Director to ensure a reprint of the stolen PVCs and/or ensure that the affected voters are allowed to use the downloadable PVC, which will be available during this election,” he said.Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the commission had completed 11 of the 13 activities contained in the election timetable, with only the end of campaigns and the conduct of the election outstanding.She added that all sensitive election materials had arrived in the state and were being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo, while non-sensitive materials had already been distributed to all local government areas. On election day, he said voting would commence at 8.30 am, while Registration Area Centres would open from noon on August 14 to enable personnel, election materials and security operatives to be deployed.He warned that electoral officers whose local governments failed to commence accreditation by 8.30 am would be held accountable.Amupitan said, “Biometric verification (fingerprint or facial matching via BVAS) remains the sole statutory mechanism for accreditation.“There will be no manual accreditation. All polling unit result sheets (Form EC8A) will be scanned and uploaded directly from the polling unit to the IReV portal, guaranteeing public transparency from the moment voting closes.“As we approach the Osun polls, our priority is to build and sustain the ultimate trust of the electorate. Our Bimodal Voter Accreditation System is the heartbeat of our elections; therefore, we are subjecting our systems to a rigorous field test to fortify the sanctity of the ballot during the election.“Therefore, on Saturday, 1st August 2026, we will be conducting a Mock Accreditation across 12 selected local government areas in the state, four per senatorial zone.“The selected LGAs are: Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodun, Boripe, Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Oriade, Obokun, Egbedore, Ede North, Ede South and Ejigbo.”He also said the commission, working through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security and other relevant stakeholders, had mapped localised risk corridors, identified emerging threats, anticipated potential flashpoints, prioritised interventions, and implemented mitigation measures, particularly in parts of Atakumosa East and West, Boripe, Ede North and South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila, Osogbo, Ifelodun, and Oriade Local Government Areas.According to him, the locations would receive specialised, high-visibility security deployments, noting that security forces had been issued strict operational directives to neutralise thuggery, cult movement, and any attempt at ballot disruption while maintaining absolute professional neutrality.Commenting on the last Sunday attack that occurred in Okuku, which resulted in the theft of three batches of uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards, Amupitan said the unfortunate event repeated itself in Ife Central, where some people on a motorcycle stole some PVCs and escaped.“I wish to reassure the electorate and issue a stern warning to perpetrators who stole PVCs that they are functionally ineffective under our system architecture.“Without the live biometric verification of the legitimate cardholder on the BVAS, a stolen card cannot accredit anyone to vote.“The serial numbers of the stolen cards can be permanently blacklisted on our central server, and law enforcement agencies would close in on the perpetrators. “I have directed the ICT Director to ensure a reprint of the stolen PVCs and/or ensure that the affected voters are allowed to use the downloadable PVC, which will be available during this election,” he said.Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the commission had completed 11 of the 13 activities contained in the election timetable, with only the end of campaigns and the conduct of the election outstanding.She added that all sensitive election materials had arrived in the state and were being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo, while non-sensitive materials had already been distributed to all local government areas. He warned that electoral officers whose local governments failed to commence accreditation by 8.30 am would be held accountable.Amupitan said, “Biometric verification (fingerprint or facial matching via BVAS) remains the sole statutory mechanism for accreditation.“There will be no manual accreditation. All polling unit result sheets (Form EC8A) will be scanned and uploaded directly from the polling unit to the IReV portal, guaranteeing public transparency from the moment voting closes.“As we approach the Osun polls, our priority is to build and sustain the ultimate trust of the electorate. Our Bimodal Voter Accreditation System is the heartbeat of our elections; therefore, we are subjecting our systems to a rigorous field test to fortify the sanctity of the ballot during the election.“Therefore, on Saturday, 1st August 2026, we will be conducting a Mock Accreditation across 12 selected local government areas in the state, four per senatorial zone.“The selected LGAs are: Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodun, Boripe, Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Oriade, Obokun, Egbedore, Ede North, Ede South and Ejigbo.”He also said the commission, working through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security and other relevant stakeholders, had mapped localised risk corridors, identified emerging threats, anticipated potential flashpoints, prioritised interventions, and implemented mitigation measures, particularly in parts of Atakumosa East and West, Boripe, Ede North and South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila, Osogbo, Ifelodun, and Oriade Local Government Areas.According to him, the locations would receive specialised, high-visibility security deployments, noting that security forces had been issued strict operational directives to neutralise thuggery, cult movement, and any attempt at ballot disruption while maintaining absolute professional neutrality.Commenting on the last Sunday attack that occurred in Okuku, which resulted in the theft of three batches of uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards, Amupitan said the unfortunate event repeated itself in Ife Central, where some people on a motorcycle stole some PVCs and escaped.“I wish to reassure the electorate and issue a stern warning to perpetrators who stole PVCs that they are functionally ineffective under our system architecture.“Without the live biometric verification of the legitimate cardholder on the BVAS, a stolen card cannot accredit anyone to vote.“The serial numbers of the stolen cards can be permanently blacklisted on our central server, and law enforcement agencies would close in on the perpetrators. “I have directed the ICT Director to ensure a reprint of the stolen PVCs and/or ensure that the affected voters are allowed to use the downloadable PVC, which will be available during this election,” he said.Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the commission had completed 11 of the 13 activities contained in the election timetable, with only the end of campaigns and the conduct of the election outstanding.She added that all sensitive election materials had arrived in the state and were being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo, while non-sensitive materials had already been distributed to all local government areas. Amupitan said, “Biometric verification (fingerprint or facial matching via BVAS) remains the sole statutory mechanism for accreditation.“There will be no manual accreditation. All polling unit result sheets (Form EC8A) will be scanned and uploaded directly from the polling unit to the IReV portal, guaranteeing public transparency from the moment voting closes.“As we approach the Osun polls, our priority is to build and sustain the ultimate trust of the electorate. Our Bimodal Voter Accreditation System is the heartbeat of our elections; therefore, we are subjecting our systems to a rigorous field test to fortify the sanctity of the ballot during the election.“Therefore, on Saturday, 1st August 2026, we will be conducting a Mock Accreditation across 12 selected local government areas in the state, four per senatorial zone.“The selected LGAs are: Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodun, Boripe, Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Oriade, Obokun, Egbedore, Ede North, Ede South and Ejigbo.”He also said the commission, working through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security and other relevant stakeholders, had mapped localised risk corridors, identified emerging threats, anticipated potential flashpoints, prioritised interventions, and implemented mitigation measures, particularly in parts of Atakumosa East and West, Boripe, Ede North and South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila, Osogbo, Ifelodun, and Oriade Local Government Areas.According to him, the locations would receive specialised, high-visibility security deployments, noting that security forces had been issued strict operational directives to neutralise thuggery, cult movement, and any attempt at ballot disruption while maintaining absolute professional neutrality.Commenting on the last Sunday attack that occurred in Okuku, which resulted in the theft of three batches of uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards, Amupitan said the unfortunate event repeated itself in Ife Central, where some people on a motorcycle stole some PVCs and escaped.“I wish to reassure the electorate and issue a stern warning to perpetrators who stole PVCs that they are functionally ineffective under our system architecture.“Without the live biometric verification of the legitimate cardholder on the BVAS, a stolen card cannot accredit anyone to vote.“The serial numbers of the stolen cards can be permanently blacklisted on our central server, and law enforcement agencies would close in on the perpetrators. “I have directed the ICT Director to ensure a reprint of the stolen PVCs and/or ensure that the affected voters are allowed to use the downloadable PVC, which will be available during this election,” he said.Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the commission had completed 11 of the 13 activities contained in the election timetable, with only the end of campaigns and the conduct of the election outstanding.She added that all sensitive election materials had arrived in the state and were being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo, while non-sensitive materials had already been distributed to all local government areas. “There will be no manual accreditation. All polling unit result sheets (Form EC8A) will be scanned and uploaded directly from the polling unit to the IReV portal, guaranteeing public transparency from the moment voting closes.“As we approach the Osun polls, our priority is to build and sustain the ultimate trust of the electorate. Our Bimodal Voter Accreditation System is the heartbeat of our elections; therefore, we are subjecting our systems to a rigorous field test to fortify the sanctity of the ballot during the election.“Therefore, on Saturday, 1st August 2026, we will be conducting a Mock Accreditation across 12 selected local government areas in the state, four per senatorial zone.“The selected LGAs are: Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodun, Boripe, Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Oriade, Obokun, Egbedore, Ede North, Ede South and Ejigbo.”He also said the commission, working through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security and other relevant stakeholders, had mapped localised risk corridors, identified emerging threats, anticipated potential flashpoints, prioritised interventions, and implemented mitigation measures, particularly in parts of Atakumosa East and West, Boripe, Ede North and South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila, Osogbo, Ifelodun, and Oriade Local Government Areas.According to him, the locations would receive specialised, high-visibility security deployments, noting that security forces had been issued strict operational directives to neutralise thuggery, cult movement, and any attempt at ballot disruption while maintaining absolute professional neutrality.Commenting on the last Sunday attack that occurred in Okuku, which resulted in the theft of three batches of uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards, Amupitan said the unfortunate event repeated itself in Ife Central, where some people on a motorcycle stole some PVCs and escaped.“I wish to reassure the electorate and issue a stern warning to perpetrators who stole PVCs that they are functionally ineffective under our system architecture.“Without the live biometric verification of the legitimate cardholder on the BVAS, a stolen card cannot accredit anyone to vote.“The serial numbers of the stolen cards can be permanently blacklisted on our central server, and law enforcement agencies would close in on the perpetrators. “I have directed the ICT Director to ensure a reprint of the stolen PVCs and/or ensure that the affected voters are allowed to use the downloadable PVC, which will be available during this election,” he said.Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the commission had completed 11 of the 13 activities contained in the election timetable, with only the end of campaigns and the conduct of the election outstanding.She added that all sensitive election materials had arrived in the state and were being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo, while non-sensitive materials had already been distributed to all local government areas. “As we approach the Osun polls, our priority is to build and sustain the ultimate trust of the electorate. Our Bimodal Voter Accreditation System is the heartbeat of our elections; therefore, we are subjecting our systems to a rigorous field test to fortify the sanctity of the ballot during the election.“Therefore, on Saturday, 1st August 2026, we will be conducting a Mock Accreditation across 12 selected local government areas in the state, four per senatorial zone.“The selected LGAs are: Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodun, Boripe, Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Oriade, Obokun, Egbedore, Ede North, Ede South and Ejigbo.”He also said the commission, working through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security and other relevant stakeholders, had mapped localised risk corridors, identified emerging threats, anticipated potential flashpoints, prioritised interventions, and implemented mitigation measures, particularly in parts of Atakumosa East and West, Boripe, Ede North and South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila, Osogbo, Ifelodun, and Oriade Local Government Areas.According to him, the locations would receive specialised, high-visibility security deployments, noting that security forces had been issued strict operational directives to neutralise thuggery, cult movement, and any attempt at ballot disruption while maintaining absolute professional neutrality.Commenting on the last Sunday attack that occurred in Okuku, which resulted in the theft of three batches of uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards, Amupitan said the unfortunate event repeated itself in Ife Central, where some people on a motorcycle stole some PVCs and escaped.“I wish to reassure the electorate and issue a stern warning to perpetrators who stole PVCs that they are functionally ineffective under our system architecture.“Without the live biometric verification of the legitimate cardholder on the BVAS, a stolen card cannot accredit anyone to vote.“The serial numbers of the stolen cards can be permanently blacklisted on our central server, and law enforcement agencies would close in on the perpetrators. “I have directed the ICT Director to ensure a reprint of the stolen PVCs and/or ensure that the affected voters are allowed to use the downloadable PVC, which will be available during this election,” he said.Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the commission had completed 11 of the 13 activities contained in the election timetable, with only the end of campaigns and the conduct of the election outstanding.She added that all sensitive election materials had arrived in the state and were being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo, while non-sensitive materials had already been distributed to all local government areas. “Therefore, on Saturday, 1st August 2026, we will be conducting a Mock Accreditation across 12 selected local government areas in the state, four per senatorial zone.“The selected LGAs are: Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodun, Boripe, Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Oriade, Obokun, Egbedore, Ede North, Ede South and Ejigbo.”He also said the commission, working through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security and other relevant stakeholders, had mapped localised risk corridors, identified emerging threats, anticipated potential flashpoints, prioritised interventions, and implemented mitigation measures, particularly in parts of Atakumosa East and West, Boripe, Ede North and South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila, Osogbo, Ifelodun, and Oriade Local Government Areas.According to him, the locations would receive specialised, high-visibility security deployments, noting that security forces had been issued strict operational directives to neutralise thuggery, cult movement, and any attempt at ballot disruption while maintaining absolute professional neutrality.Commenting on the last Sunday attack that occurred in Okuku, which resulted in the theft of three batches of uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards, Amupitan said the unfortunate event repeated itself in Ife Central, where some people on a motorcycle stole some PVCs and escaped.“I wish to reassure the electorate and issue a stern warning to perpetrators who stole PVCs that they are functionally ineffective under our system architecture.“Without the live biometric verification of the legitimate cardholder on the BVAS, a stolen card cannot accredit anyone to vote.“The serial numbers of the stolen cards can be permanently blacklisted on our central server, and law enforcement agencies would close in on the perpetrators. “I have directed the ICT Director to ensure a reprint of the stolen PVCs and/or ensure that the affected voters are allowed to use the downloadable PVC, which will be available during this election,” he said.Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the commission had completed 11 of the 13 activities contained in the election timetable, with only the end of campaigns and the conduct of the election outstanding.She added that all sensitive election materials had arrived in the state and were being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo, while non-sensitive materials had already been distributed to all local government areas. “The selected LGAs are: Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodun, Boripe, Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Oriade, Obokun, Egbedore, Ede North, Ede South and Ejigbo.”He also said the commission, working through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security and other relevant stakeholders, had mapped localised risk corridors, identified emerging threats, anticipated potential flashpoints, prioritised interventions, and implemented mitigation measures, particularly in parts of Atakumosa East and West, Boripe, Ede North and South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila, Osogbo, Ifelodun, and Oriade Local Government Areas.According to him, the locations would receive specialised, high-visibility security deployments, noting that security forces had been issued strict operational directives to neutralise thuggery, cult movement, and any attempt at ballot disruption while maintaining absolute professional neutrality.Commenting on the last Sunday attack that occurred in Okuku, which resulted in the theft of three batches of uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards, Amupitan said the unfortunate event repeated itself in Ife Central, where some people on a motorcycle stole some PVCs and escaped.“I wish to reassure the electorate and issue a stern warning to perpetrators who stole PVCs that they are functionally ineffective under our system architecture.“Without the live biometric verification of the legitimate cardholder on the BVAS, a stolen card cannot accredit anyone to vote.“The serial numbers of the stolen cards can be permanently blacklisted on our central server, and law enforcement agencies would close in on the perpetrators. “I have directed the ICT Director to ensure a reprint of the stolen PVCs and/or ensure that the affected voters are allowed to use the downloadable PVC, which will be available during this election,” he said.Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the commission had completed 11 of the 13 activities contained in the election timetable, with only the end of campaigns and the conduct of the election outstanding.She added that all sensitive election materials had arrived in the state and were being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo, while non-sensitive materials had already been distributed to all local government areas. He also said the commission, working through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security and other relevant stakeholders, had mapped localised risk corridors, identified emerging threats, anticipated potential flashpoints, prioritised interventions, and implemented mitigation measures, particularly in parts of Atakumosa East and West, Boripe, Ede North and South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila, Osogbo, Ifelodun, and Oriade Local Government Areas.According to him, the locations would receive specialised, high-visibility security deployments, noting that security forces had been issued strict operational directives to neutralise thuggery, cult movement, and any attempt at ballot disruption while maintaining absolute professional neutrality.Commenting on the last Sunday attack that occurred in Okuku, which resulted in the theft of three batches of uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards, Amupitan said the unfortunate event repeated itself in Ife Central, where some people on a motorcycle stole some PVCs and escaped.“I wish to reassure the electorate and issue a stern warning to perpetrators who stole PVCs that they are functionally ineffective under our system architecture.“Without the live biometric verification of the legitimate cardholder on the BVAS, a stolen card cannot accredit anyone to vote.“The serial numbers of the stolen cards can be permanently blacklisted on our central server, and law enforcement agencies would close in on the perpetrators. “I have directed the ICT Director to ensure a reprint of the stolen PVCs and/or ensure that the affected voters are allowed to use the downloadable PVC, which will be available during this election,” he said.Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the commission had completed 11 of the 13 activities contained in the election timetable, with only the end of campaigns and the conduct of the election outstanding.She added that all sensitive election materials had arrived in the state and were being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo, while non-sensitive materials had already been distributed to all local government areas. According to him, the locations would receive specialised, high-visibility security deployments, noting that security forces had been issued strict operational directives to neutralise thuggery, cult movement, and any attempt at ballot disruption while maintaining absolute professional neutrality.Commenting on the last Sunday attack that occurred in Okuku, which resulted in the theft of three batches of uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards, Amupitan said the unfortunate event repeated itself in Ife Central, where some people on a motorcycle stole some PVCs and escaped.“I wish to reassure the electorate and issue a stern warning to perpetrators who stole PVCs that they are functionally ineffective under our system architecture.“Without the live biometric verification of the legitimate cardholder on the BVAS, a stolen card cannot accredit anyone to vote.“The serial numbers of the stolen cards can be permanently blacklisted on our central server, and law enforcement agencies would close in on the perpetrators. “I have directed the ICT Director to ensure a reprint of the stolen PVCs and/or ensure that the affected voters are allowed to use the downloadable PVC, which will be available during this election,” he said.Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the commission had completed 11 of the 13 activities contained in the election timetable, with only the end of campaigns and the conduct of the election outstanding.She added that all sensitive election materials had arrived in the state and were being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo, while non-sensitive materials had already been distributed to all local government areas. Commenting on the last Sunday attack that occurred in Okuku, which resulted in the theft of three batches of uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards, Amupitan said the unfortunate event repeated itself in Ife Central, where some people on a motorcycle stole some PVCs and escaped.“I wish to reassure the electorate and issue a stern warning to perpetrators who stole PVCs that they are functionally ineffective under our system architecture.“Without the live biometric verification of the legitimate cardholder on the BVAS, a stolen card cannot accredit anyone to vote.“The serial numbers of the stolen cards can be permanently blacklisted on our central server, and law enforcement agencies would close in on the perpetrators. “I have directed the ICT Director to ensure a reprint of the stolen PVCs and/or ensure that the affected voters are allowed to use the downloadable PVC, which will be available during this election,” he said.Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the commission had completed 11 of the 13 activities contained in the election timetable, with only the end of campaigns and the conduct of the election outstanding.She added that all sensitive election materials had arrived in the state and were being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo, while non-sensitive materials had already been distributed to all local government areas. “I wish to reassure the electorate and issue a stern warning to perpetrators who stole PVCs that they are functionally ineffective under our system architecture.“Without the live biometric verification of the legitimate cardholder on the BVAS, a stolen card cannot accredit anyone to vote.“The serial numbers of the stolen cards can be permanently blacklisted on our central server, and law enforcement agencies would close in on the perpetrators. “I have directed the ICT Director to ensure a reprint of the stolen PVCs and/or ensure that the affected voters are allowed to use the downloadable PVC, which will be available during this election,” he said.Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the commission had completed 11 of the 13 activities contained in the election timetable, with only the end of campaigns and the conduct of the election outstanding.She added that all sensitive election materials had arrived in the state and were being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo, while non-sensitive materials had already been distributed to all local government areas. “Without the live biometric verification of the legitimate cardholder on the BVAS, a stolen card cannot accredit anyone to vote.“The serial numbers of the stolen cards can be permanently blacklisted on our central server, and law enforcement agencies would close in on the perpetrators. “I have directed the ICT Director to ensure a reprint of the stolen PVCs and/or ensure that the affected voters are allowed to use the downloadable PVC, which will be available during this election,” he said.Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the commission had completed 11 of the 13 activities contained in the election timetable, with only the end of campaigns and the conduct of the election outstanding.She added that all sensitive election materials had arrived in the state and were being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo, while non-sensitive materials had already been distributed to all local government areas. “The serial numbers of the stolen cards can be permanently blacklisted on our central server, and law enforcement agencies would close in on the perpetrators. “I have directed the ICT Director to ensure a reprint of the stolen PVCs and/or ensure that the affected voters are allowed to use the downloadable PVC, which will be available during this election,” he said.Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the commission had completed 11 of the 13 activities contained in the election timetable, with only the end of campaigns and the conduct of the election outstanding.She added that all sensitive election materials had arrived in the state and were being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo, while non-sensitive materials had already been distributed to all local government areas. Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the commission had completed 11 of the 13 activities contained in the election timetable, with only the end of campaigns and the conduct of the election outstanding.She added that all sensitive election materials had arrived in the state and were being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo, while non-sensitive materials had already been distributed to all local government areas. She added that all sensitive election materials had arrived in the state and were being secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo, while non-sensitive materials had already been distributed to all local government areas.