The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the final register of voters for the August 15, 2026 Osun State governorship election, announcing that 2,339,233 registered voters will participate in the poll.
The register was presented to representatives of the 14 political parties contesting the election on Thursday at the commission’s headquarters in Osogbo.
Speaking at the presentation, Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the commission had also received about 95 per cent of the non-sensitive materials required for the election, with distribution already underway across the state’s 30 local government areas.
According to an analysis released by INEC, the state’s voter population increased significantly following the 2025/2026 Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
The commission explained that while Osun had 1,954,800 registered voters during the 2023 general elections, an additional 365,356 new voters were successfully registered during the recent CVR exercise. It also recorded 26,202 transfers into the state and 7,125 transfers out, bringing the total number of registered voters for the governorship election to 2,339,233.
Babalola assured political parties and other stakeholders of INEC’s readiness to conduct a free, fair and credible election.
Speaking at a Media and Election Stakeholders’ Dialogue on Credible Elections in Osun State, organised by the International Press Centre (IPC) and the Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO) with support from the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN), the REC said the commission had intensified preparations for the poll.
“When I addressed the press last week, we had received about 80 per cent of our non-sensitive materials. Today, we have received about 95 per cent, and the materials have already been distributed to our local government offices for onward deployment,” she said.
She added that INEC was conducting intensive training for its personnel to ensure efficient and professional conduct during the election.
“We have commenced technical training for our Electoral Officers, while local government training officers and persons with disabilities have also been trained to ensure inclusiveness and professionalism throughout the electoral process,” Babalola stated.
The REC further disclosed that the commission would begin a three-day training programme for election security personnel next week to familiarise them with their roles and the code of conduct for election duty.
She also announced that the portal for recruiting ad hoc staff, including presiding officers, assistant presiding officers, supervisory presiding officers and Registration Area Technical Support Staff (RATECHs), had been opened and would close shortly.
The August 15 governorship election will feature candidates from 14 political parties, with INEC expressing confidence in its preparations and calling on stakeholders to support efforts towards a peaceful and credible poll.
Advertisement
