The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared that the recent assault on a voter card collection point in Osun will not hinder its commitment to a transparent and fair governorship election. Dayo Oketola, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, confirmed in an interview that the police are currently investigating the incident, which occurred at the Oyinlola DC School in Okuku.
During the attack, unidentified individuals targeted staff and stole electoral assets, including Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines and permanent voter cards (PVCs). Oketola expressed confidence that law enforcement will apprehend those responsible and retrieve the missing equipment. He emphasized that these stolen items will be replaced, noting that the commission has already prepared 664 backup BVAS units as part of its total allocation of 4,427 devices for the state election.
Addressing concerns about the stolen cards, Oketola clarified that the theft is essentially meaningless due to the mandatory biometric verification required by the BVAS technology. He asserted that the current electoral system prevents voter identity fraud, rendering stolen cards useless for unauthorized voting. He further guaranteed that the commission will implement measures to ensure no registered voter is barred from casting their ballot.
In addition to these preparations, INEC is moving forward with a pre-assessment tour and has organized 97 Super Registration Area Centres alongside 105 Registration Area Centres to support the election process. Oketola urged stakeholders, including traditional and religious leaders, to cooperate with security agencies to maintain a peaceful environment, reinforcing that the commission remains entirely focused on delivering a credible electoral process in Osun.
