Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja
Ahead of the Osun State governorship election scheduled for Saturday, a total of 1,906,390 voters will decide the fate of the 15 governorship candidates in the election.
Recall that the leading candidates including the incumbent Governor and the candidate of Accord Senator Ademola Adeleke, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Dr. Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Tuesday at the Arise News town hall offered their visions for the state.
While Adeleke defended his three-and-a-half-year record, Oyebamiji presented himself as an investment and public finance expert capable of turning around the state’s economy, whereas Salaam promised to revive social programmes associated with earlier administrations and create 20,000 jobs within his first 100 days in office.
However, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Thursday announced the final figures of the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) collected by registered voters across the State.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna in a statement issued revealed that out of the total of 2,339,233 registered voters in the State, 1,906,390 PVCs, representing 81.50 per cent, have been collected.
He added that the remaining 426,842 PVCs, representing 18.50 per cent, have been safely deposited with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), in line with the Commission’s established practice.
Haruna noted: “Similarly, it should be noted that some persons with damaged, defaced, or lost PVCs applied for replacement of their cards.
“A total of 6,101 among those who applied printed downloadable copies of their PVCs. A table of the PVCs collected, Polling Unit by Polling Unit (PU), has been published on the Commission’s website.”
The Commission reassured political parties, civil society organisations, media, and the good people of Osun State of its total readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible, transparent, and inclusive election.