The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the commencement of Permanent Voter Card (PVC) distribution ahead of the August 15, 2026, governorship election in Osun State.
According to the electoral body, the exercise is intended for eligible voters who recently registered, transferred their voter registration, applied for replacement of lost or damaged PVCs, or updated their details during the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
INEC said PVC collection will take place at Registration Area centres across the state from July 22 to July 28, before continuing at Local Government Area offices from July 29 to August 7. Collection will run daily, including weekends, between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.
The commission explained that the phased approach is designed to make the collection process more convenient for voters and urged all eligible residents to obtain their PVCs, noting that the card remains the only valid means of voting in the election.
Meanwhile, the Imole Campaign Council, representing Governor Ademola Adeleke’s campaign, called on INEC to strengthen electoral safeguards ahead of the poll.
The council raised concerns based on observations from recent off-cycle elections, citing issues such as shortages of ballot papers, challenges with PVC distribution, alleged pre-marked ballot papers, technical problems involving the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), reports of voting without PVCs and lapses in result management.
It also urged the commission to deploy additional BVAS devices and election personnel to polling units with large numbers of voters to reduce delays and improve the voting process.
The council further called on INEC and security agencies to investigate allegations concerning the possible preloading of BVAS machines and the printing of extra result sheets ahead of the election.
In a separate development, APC National Secretary Ajibola Basiru assured residents of Ila that the party’s governorship candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji (AMBO), would focus on improving workers’ welfare, supporting farmers, strengthening education, healthcare and security if elected governor.
Basiru said increased federal allocations to states present an opportunity for Osun to accelerate development, expressing confidence that the APC candidate has the experience to drive economic growth and improve the lives of residents.
