The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it is fully prepared to conduct a free, fair and credible governorship election in Osun State on Aug. 15.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, gave the assurance at the Osun Governorship Election Stakeholders' Forum in Osogbo, saying the commission had concluded all logistical, technological and operational preparations.
To boost voter participation, Amupitan announced the extension of the Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection exercise to July 31, revealing that 322,822 newly registered voters, representing 62% of eligible registrants, have collected their PVCs.
He also said INEC will conduct a mock accreditation exercise on Aug. 1 across 12 selected local government areas to test the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) ahead of the election.
Earlier, Osun Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola, said voter registration in the state increased from 1,954,800 to 2,339,233 ahead of the poll.
She added that all 3,763 BVAS devices for the election had been configured and fully charged, with 1,328 backup machines set aside, while non-sensitive materials had been distributed to local government areas and sensitive materials secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo.
Babalola also said training for ad hoc staff will run from July 31 to Aug. 9.
Meanwhile, Supervising National Commissioner for Osun State, Prof. Kunle Ajayi, urged political parties to avoid inflammatory rhetoric, vote buying and voter intimidation, warning that anyone who violates the Electoral Act will face prosecution.
He also called on security agencies, the media and civil society organisations to remain professional and impartial throughout the electoral process.
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