Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, has assured voters in Osun State that stolen Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) would not be used successfully in the August 15 governorship election in the state, as such cards would be without biometrics verification on the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).

Amupitan said this against the background of reports of stolen uncollected PVCs in parts of the state, including Okuku in Odo-Otin Local Government Area, and Ife Central.

He stressed that possession of a PVC alone was not sufficient to enable anyone to vote.

The INEC chairman emphasised that every voter would be subjected to biometrics accreditation before being allowed to vote, making stolen PVCs useless to anyone attempting to use them fraudulently.

Amupitan spoke on Thursday in Osogbo at the formal signing of the Osun State Governorship Election Peace Accord.

A member of the National Peace Committee, which administers the peace accord, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, appealed to political parties and their candidates participating in the August 15 governorship election in Osun State to conduct their campaigns peacefully and respect the spirit and letter of the peace accord signed ahead of the poll.

Onaiyekan’s appeal came as Osun State Police Command released the arrested Secretary to the Osun State Government, Chief Igbalaye Teslim.

The police had arrested Teslim and five others over allegations of harbouringone Oladele Abiodun, popularly known as Ashipa, who had been on the police watchlist.

He said the commission had put adequate technological, operational, and security measures in place to protect the integrity of the election.

He stated that serial numbers of stolen PVCs could be blacklisted, while law enforcement agencies were already pursuing those allegedly responsible for the thefts.

According to him, affected voters are being provided with replacement cards or authorised digital verification PVC downloads, where applicable.

Amupitan stated that biometrics verification through BVAS remained the statutory means of accrediting voters, stressing that there would be no manual accreditation during the election.

He said the commission was not interested in determining which candidate would win the election, but was committed to ensuring that the process through which the winner emerged was lawful, credible, transparent, and acceptable.

The INEC chairman said the August 15 election would be conducted across 30 local government areas and the Modakeke Area Office, covering 332 Registration Areas, otherwise known as wards, and 3,763 polling units.

He disclosed that following the automated biometrics cleansing of the voter register, the certified Register of Voters for the election now stood at 2,339,233.

To strengthen the technological process, Amupitan said INEC had deployed 4,427 BVAS devices for the election, including 664 backup units representing a 15 per cent operational reserve.

He said the BVAS machines had been customised for Osun State, while the commission had also strengthened its result management system to ensure that polling unit results were electronically uploaded after voting.

The INEC chairman disclosed that seven of the nine activities contained in the commission’s election timetable had been completed, leaving the conclusion of campaigns on Thursday, August 13, and the conduct of the election on Saturday, August 15.

He said the commission’s administrative timetable had recently been subjected to legal challenges, but stated that the Court of Appeal had affirmed INEC’s statutory authority to enforce its election timetable.

Amupitan also disclosed that 322,822 newly registered voters, representing 62 per cent, had collected their PVCs at the close of the primary collection exercise.

He said the commission had, however, extended PVC collection at its local government area offices until Friday, July 31, to enable more eligible voters retrieve their cards.

According to him, security agencies operating under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) would maintain high-visibility patrols around PVC collection centres.

The INEC chairman expressed concern over reports of violence and threats in some parts of Osun State, warning that insecurity poses a direct threat to the sanctity of the ballot.

He said the commission had consequently shifted its security strategy from reactive monitoring to proactive prevention, with intelligence-led measures being deployed to polling units and collation centres.

“As Chairman, it weighs heavily on me that the environment for this election must be one of peace, not intimidation,” Amupitan said, adding, “We will not allow the democratic will of the people to be subverted by fear or force.”

Amupitan said INEC was working with the Nigeria Police and the armed forces to protect election personnel, materials, and voters, warning that any attempt to disrupt the election will be met with the full force of the law.

He also warned political parties, candidates, and their supporters against violence, vote-buying, inflammatory rhetoric, and other actions capable of undermining the credibility of the election.

He said, “Anyone attempting to buy or sell votes—whether through physical cash or digital transfers—will be arrested and prosecuted under the Electoral Act 2026.”

Amupitan also announced that INEC would conduct a state-wide Mock Accreditation Exercise on Saturday, August 1, across 12 selected local government areas as part of its final preparations for the election.

The exercise will take place in Osun Central in Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodunand Boripe; Osun East in Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Oriade and Obokun; and Osun West in Egbedore, Ede North, Ede South and Ejigbo.

He invited candidates, political party representatives, election observers and journalists to witness the exercise, describing it as a final test of the commission’s technological and operational readiness.

According to him, the mock accreditation would enable INEC to identify and resolve possible challenges before voters arrived at polling units on election day.

Beyond the technological preparations, Amupitan appealed to political leaders to ensure that the Peace Accord signed by the 14 participating political parties was respected at the grassroots.

He said the agreement should not be treated as a ceremonial arrangement or merely an opportunity for political actors to take photographs, but as a genuine commitment to peaceful democratic competition.

“It is not the signatures written today that preserve democracy; it is the character of the leaders who hold the pen,” he said.

The Peace Accord signing was attended by former Head of State and Chairman of the National Peace Committee, General Abdulsalami Abubakar; Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III; and Convener of the National Peace Committee, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah.

Others in attendance were Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke; Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu; traditional rulers; political party leaders and candidates; security agencies; civil society organisations; religious leaders; and members of the media.

Onayekan Urges Peaceful Election

A member of the National Peace Committee, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, on Thursday, asked political parties and candidates participating in the August 15 governorship election in Osun State to conduct their campaigns peacefully and respect the spirit and letter of the peace accord signed ahead of the election.

Onaiyekan also urged INEC and the security agencies to remain impartial, professional, and committed to the rule of law to ensure that voters were allowed to exercise their constitutional rights without fear or intimidation.

Speaking at the formal signing of the peace accord in Osogbo, Onaiyekansaid the signing should not be treated as a mere ceremony, but as a serious commitment by all political actors to peaceful conduct before, during and after the election.

Onaiyekan delivered the welcome address on behalf of Chairman of the National Peace Committee, Abubakar, who was absent from the event.

He appealed to political parties and their supporters to abide by the agreement they had signed.

He said the essence of the peace accord was to encourage political parties and their leaders to conduct their campaigns and other electoral activities peacefully, while respecting the law and recognising that elections were temporary events.

Onaiyekan stated, “We know why we are here. We are here to encourage political parties and their leaders in the run-up to the election to do their best to carry on their campaigns, their activities in a peaceful way, respecting the law and remembering that election will come and go.”

The cleric stated that elections, by their nature, would produce winners and losers, urging political actors to accept the outcome peacefully and understand that political contests should not destroy relationships or the society.

He stressed, “In every race, in every election, somebody will win, others will lose. That is normal. Life will continue.”

He added, “This signing of accord is not just a formality, a ritual. It is supposed to mean something serious, that we take this matter seriously.”

Onaiyekan commended INEC and expressed confidence that the electoral commission would conduct the election in accordance with the electoral laws and established rules.

Turning to the security agencies, Onaiyekan said their responsibility was to protect all citizens and the electoral process rather than serve the interests of any political party or individual.

According to him, residents of Osun State must be able to go to the polling units and exercise their right to choose their leaders without intimidation, violence, or fear. (Arise News)

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