The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has warned that anyone who attempts to disrupt the August 15 Osun State governorship election will face the full weight of the law.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, issued the warning in Osogbo on Thursday at the signing of a Peace Accord involving the National Peace Committee, security agencies, traditional rulers and 14 political parties contesting the election. Amupitan said INEC had completed 11 activities on its timetable, with campaigns scheduled to end at midnight on August 13 and voting to hold on August 15.
He said the election would cover 30 Local Government Areas and the Modakeke Area Office, comprising 332 Registration Areas and 3,763 Polling Units, with 2,339,233 registered voters.The INEC Chairman expressed concern over reports of violence and threats in some parts of the state, describing insecurity as a direct threat to the sanctity of the ballot.
He said the commission had shifted from reactive monitoring to proactive prevention, working with the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, the Police and the Armed Forces to protect voters, personnel and election materials.He identified Atakumosa East and West, Boripe, Ede North and South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila, Osogbo, Ifelodun and Oriade as areas requiring heightened security attention.
Amupitan said security personnel had been given clear instructions to prevent violence while maintaining strict professional neutrality.On vote buying, the INEC Chairman disclosed that the commission was working with the EFCC, ICPC and the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation to deploy financial intelligence officers around polling areas.
He warned that anyone caught buying or selling votes, including through digital transfers, would be arrested and prosecuted under the Electoral Act 2026.Amupitan also announced that the collection of Permanent Voter Cards at Local Government offices had been extended to Friday, July 31, with 322,822 newly registered voters having collected their PVCs.
He assured residents that stolen uncollected PVCs in Okuku and Ife Central were useless without live biometric verification through BVAS, while affected voters would be provided with replacement options.
The commission said 4,427 BVAS machines, including a 15 per cent reserve, had been configured for the election, while a statewide mock accreditation exercise would hold on Saturday, August 1, across 12 Local Government Areas. INEC also promised immediate uploading of polling-unit results to the IReV portal after voting.
Meanwhile, the National Peace Committee, Police and traditional institutions urged political actors to honour the peace accord. Representing the NPC Chairman, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, Cardinal John Onaiyekan called on parties to uphold the agreement, while the Police assured voters of adequate and neutral deployment.
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, also urged politicians to place the interest of Osun State above partisan interests. The peace accord ceremony was attended by the Osun State Governor, political parties, INEC National Commissioners, security agencies, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations and other stakeholders.
The INEC Chairman also inspected the commission’s offices in Osogbo and Ede South as part of efforts to assess preparations for the August 15 poll.