Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that preparations for the 2027 General Election in Osun State were on course, with nine of the 14 major activities on the electoral timetable already completed.
Speaking with journalists, in Osogbo, at a press Conference, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, stressed that the commission had intensified preparations to deliver a free, fair, credible and transparent election across the state.
She said INEC was building on the gains recorded during the August 15, 2026 governorship election, which recorded a voter turnout of 1,010,684 out of 2,339,233 registered voters, representing 43.2 per cent participation.
According to her, “The election witnessed seamless deployment of electoral personnel and materials, while the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) functioned effectively in all 3,763 polling units across the state.”
She added that the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) recorded one of its highest success rates, with 87 per cent of polling unit results uploaded by 4:30 p.m. on election day.
“Providing an update on voter registration and PVC collection. Mrs Babalola disclosed that the state’s PVC collection rate had risen to 81.74 per cent, leaving only 18.26 per cent of cards yet to be collected. She urged eligible voters to pick up their cards ahead of the elections,” she said.
The commission also announced that Osun currently has 5,763 functional BVAS machines available for the general election, including 1,328 backup devices to address any technical emergencies on election day.
“On election staffing, the REC revealed that recruitment of ad hoc personnel was ongoing through INEC’s portal, stressing that only competent, neutral and professional applicants would be considered for election duties,” she noted.
According to her, INEC had already commenced several strategic trainings for electoral officials, while additional programmes for security personnel, presiding officers and collation officers had been scheduled ahead of the polls.