Nigeria's INEC ramps up security and media push for Osun governorship election

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is intensifying preparations for the August 15, 2026 Osun State governorship election. In a recent forum, the INEC National Commissioner warned that vote buying was "the most alarming development" emerging from the June 2026 Ekiti election and urged media houses to treat it as a priority investigative beat, documenting specifics such as names, amounts and coordination structures to trigger prosecution under the Electoral Act.

INEC has also mapped 385 potential flashpoints and identified over 200 difficult‑terrain areas in the state. Officials called for early stakeholder engagement, timely distribution of permanent voter cards and full access to updated voter registers for political parties to enhance transparency. The commission highlighted its recent logistical achievements, including the enrollment of 381,817 new voters, deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), both of which performed at high functionality rates in the preceding Ekiti election.

These steps aim to ensure a peaceful, credible election and to curb electoral malpractice across Osun State.