The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), has warned that anyone attempting to disrupt the August 15 Osun State governorship election or engage in vote buying would face the full weight of the law.
Amupitan gave the warning on Thursday in Osogbo during the signing of the National Peace Committee’s Peace Accord by 14 political parties contesting the election, alongside security agencies, traditional rulers and other stakeholders, according to a statement by the commission.
He said the commission had completed 11 of the 13 activities on its election timetable, with only the end of campaigns on August 13 and election day remaining.
“We will not allow the democratic will of the people to be subverted by fear or force. Insecurity is a direct assault on the sanctity of the ballot,” he said.
The INEC chairman disclosed that the commission would deploy personnel across the state’s 30 Local Government Areas and the Modakeke Area Office, covering 332 Registration Areas and 3,763 Polling Units.
He said the certified register contained 2,339,233 eligible voters after the Automated Biometric Identification System exercise, adding that 322,822 Permanent Voter Cards, representing 62 per cent of newly registered voters, had been collected.
Amupitan noted that the collection of PVCs at all Local Government offices had been extended until Friday, July 31, to enable more voters collect their cards.
Expressing concern over reports of violence and threats in parts of the state, the INEC chairman said the commission had shifted from reactive monitoring to proactive security measures through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security.
According to him, intelligence-led security operations would be deployed to polling units and collation centres in collaboration with the police and the Armed Forces.
“Any attempt to disrupt the election will be met with the full weight of the law,” he warned.
On the theft of uncollected PVCs in Okuku, Odo-Otin Local Government Area, and Ife Central, Amupitan assured voters that the stolen cards could not be used because accreditation required live biometric verification on the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System.
“The stolen cards are functionally inert. Their serial numbers are being blacklisted, security agencies are closing in on the perpetrators, while affected voters are being issued replacement cards or authorised to download digital verification PVCs,” he said.
He also revealed that INEC had identified several high-risk areas, including Atakumosa East and West, Boripe, Ede North and South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila, Osogbo, Ifelodun and Oriade local government areas, where additional security personnel would be deployed.
The INEC chairman further warned against vote buying, saying the commission was working with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation to deploy plainclothes operatives around polling units.
“Anyone caught buying or selling votes, whether through cash or digital transfers, will be arrested and prosecuted under the Electoral Act 2026,” he said.
On election preparations, Amupitan disclosed that 4,427 BVAS devices, including a 15 per cent operational reserve, had been configured for the poll.
He added that all polling unit results would be uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing Portal immediately after voting and announced that a statewide mock accreditation exercise would hold on August 1 across 12 local government areas.
The INEC chairman also said assistive devices, including Braille ballot guides, magnifying glasses and priority voting arrangements for persons with disabilities, pregnant women and the elderly, would be available during the election.
Speaking on behalf of the Chairman of the National Peace Committee, former Head of State Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.), Cardinal John Onaiyekan urged political parties to uphold the peace accord.
“This accord is more than a ceremonial ritual. Political parties must conduct their campaigns peacefully and honour both the spirit and the letter of the agreement,” he said.
Representing the Inspector-General of Police, Assistant Inspector-General of Police Fasuba Akinyele Olabode assured residents of adequate security deployment and pledged that police personnel would remain neutral throughout the election.
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, commended INEC’s independence and appealed to political actors to reject violence.
“Osun State is greater than the interests of any individual or political party,” the monarch said.
