As Osun State prepares for Saturday’s governorship election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office along the Gbongan-Ibadan Road in Osogbo has become a hive of activity, with a heightened security presence.
Our correspondent sighted security agents in large numbers on the premises of INEC, including personnel of the Nigeria Police Force.
Preparations are being intensified for their deployment across the 30 local government areas of the state.
Election stakeholders are also present at the office ahead of the exercise.
They include civil society organisations, journalists and election observers.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Oluwatoyin Babalola, is said to be meeting with National Commissioners and supporting RECs from other states as final arrangements for the election are being concluded.
The election will be held in 3,763 polling units across 332 wards in the 30 local government areas of the state.
INEC had on Thursday said that over 1.9 million permanent voter cards (PVCs) were collected for the Osun governorship election.
INEC’s National Commissioner, Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, in a statement, said the number was derived from the total of 2,339,233 registered voters in the State.
“Out of the total of 2,339,233 registered voters in the State, 1,906,390 PVCs, representing 81.50 per cent, have been collected. The remaining 426,842 PVCs, representing 18.50 per cent, have been safely deposited with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), in line with the Commission’s established practice.
“Similarly, it should be noted that some persons with damaged, defaced, or lost PVCs applied for replacement of their cards. A total of 6,101 among those who applied printed downloadable copies of their PVCs,” the Commission said.
