Ahead of the August 15, 2026 Osun State governorship election, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, has commissioned two new facilities at the Osun State INEC office, the INEC Decides Studio and a BVAS Storage Facility, to strengthen election communication and improve the security of critical electoral equipment.
The facilities, initiated by Osun Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola, include a dedicated media studio for interviews and a secure storage centre for Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices.
After the commissioning, Prof. Amupitan met with Electoral Officers from the state’s 30 local government areas. During the meeting, Mrs. Babalola and the Supervising National Commissioner for Osun State, Prof. Kunle Ajayi, assured the INEC Chairman that the Commission was fully prepared and committed to conducting a free, fair and conclusive election on August 15, while pledging that staff would not disappoint Nigerians.
Speaking to the Electoral Officers, Prof. Amupitan praised their dedication, describing them as the Commission’s frontline representatives whose conduct would determine public confidence in the electoral process.
He stressed the need for polling units to open promptly, warning that delays would have consequences, while outstanding performance would be recognised. He also reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to improving staff welfare and infrastructure nationwide.
The INEC Chairman further disclosed that the Commission would sustain engagements with stakeholders, including the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), to ensure the safety of personnel and election materials. He also cautioned against misinformation and disinformation, urging officials to remain professional and ensure the Osun governorship election raises the benchmark set by previous off-cycle polls.
