The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office along the Gbongan-Ibadan Road in Osogbo has become a hive of activity as preparations intensify ahead of Saturday’s Osun State governorship election.
A heightened security presence was observed at the INEC premises, with large numbers of security personnel, including officers of the Nigeria Police Force, deployed to the office.
The security agents are expected to be deployed across the 30 local government areas of the state as part of measures to ensure a secure and orderly election.
Election stakeholders have also been arriving at the INEC office ahead of the exercise. They include civil society organisations, journalists and election observers.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Oluwatoyin Babalola, is also said to be meeting with National Commissioners and supporting Resident Electoral Commissioners from other states as final arrangements for the election are concluded.
The election is scheduled to take place across 3,763 polling units in 332 wards spread across the state’s 30 local government areas.
Meanwhile, INEC said on Thursday that more than 1.9 million Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) had been collected ahead of the election.
The commission said the figure represents 81.50 per cent of the total 2,339,233 registered voters in Osun State.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, disclosed this in a statement.
According to Haruna, 1,906,390 PVCs had been collected, while the remaining 426,842 cards, representing 18.50 per cent of registered voters, had been safely deposited with the Central Bank of Nigeria in line with the commission’s established practice.
INEC also disclosed that some voters whose PVCs were damaged, defaced or lost had applied for replacement.
The commission said 6,101 people among those who applied for replacement had printed downloadable copies of their PVCs.
With security personnel, election observers and other stakeholders already converging on the state, final preparations are underway across Osun ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.
