INEC Increases BVAS Devices to 5,130, Declares Readiness for Osun Governorship Election
Oru LeonardÂ
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared itself fully prepared for the August 15, 2026, Osun State Governorship Election, following the successful conclusion of a five-day readiness assessment tour led by its Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN.
The Chairman made the declaration on Saturday during an interactive session with media executives in Osogbo after inspecting the ongoing Mock Accreditation Exercise in Obokun, Egbedore and Osogbo Local Government Areas, where he assessed the performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
Prof. Amupitan, accompanied by National Commissioners, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State and other senior officials, expressed satisfaction with the mock accreditation exercise, describing it as a vital quality assurance measure to verify the efficiency and reliability of the Commission’s electoral technology ahead of the poll.
He explained that the BVAS recorded strong field performance, with voter verification taking between 30 seconds and two minutes using fingerprint or facial recognition, while its dual-authentication feature significantly reduced cases of failed verification.
To strengthen election-day operations, the INEC Chairman announced an increase in the number of BVAS devices from 4,427 to 5,130. The additional machines will cater for split polling units in Ife East, Irewole, Egbedore, Ede North and Osogbo Local Government Areas. He also disclosed that backup BVAS devices had been doubled from 664 to 1,328 to ensure swift replacement in the event of technical faults.
Prof. Amupitan said the Commission had maintained broad consultations with political parties, civil society organisations and community leaders through a recently concluded stakeholders’ conference aimed at promoting peaceful, credible and inclusive elections.
On security arrangements, he revealed that INEC had incorporated an Electoral Risk Management (ERM) framework into its election planning to identify and monitor potential threats. According to him, Atakumosa East and West, Boripe, Ede North and South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila, Osogbo, Ifelodun and Oriade Local Government Areas have been identified as hotspots and will receive enhanced security deployment through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).
Addressing logistics, the Chairman said the Commission had concluded engagements with transport unions, including the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), after resolving concerns raised by political parties. He noted that vehicles linked to political interests, violence or pending criminal cases had been excluded from election logistics to ensure neutrality and guarantee the simultaneous opening of all 3,763 polling units by 8:30 a.m. on election day.
Prof. Amupitan also urged media organisations to uphold professionalism, warning that misinformation and disinformation pose the greatest threat to the credibility of the election. He cautioned against the unauthorised announcement of election results and the exaggeration of isolated technical glitches, stressing that accredited journalists should rely on verified information and report responsibly.
Reaffirming the Commission’s independence, the INEC Chairman stated that the electoral body remains committed to conducting a transparent, peaceful and credible election that reflects the genuine will of the people of Osun State.
