Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), has declared that the August 15 governorship election in Osun State will be a defining test of the Commission’s readiness for the 2027 General Election.
Amupitan made the declaration on Tuesday during a courtesy visit to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, where he solicited the monarch’s support in mobilising residents for a peaceful, credible and violence-free poll.
Describing the election as the most significant off-cycle governorship contest before 2027, the INEC chairman said the exercise would test the Commission’s operational capacity, administrative efficiency and deployment of electoral technology ahead of the nationwide polls.
“This election serves as a critical benchmark for the 2027 General Election. It is a test of our operational readiness, our administrative integrity and our commitment to seamless electoral technology,” he said.
Amupitan appealed to the Ooni to use the influence of the traditional institution to discourage political violence, vote-buying and other electoral malpractices capable of undermining the integrity of the process.
He warned that democracy suffers when voters are intimidated or induced with money to compromise their choices, stressing that elections must be decided by the free will of the people.
The INEC chairman disclosed that the Commission had completed key logistical and operational arrangements for the election, with 2,339,233 registered voters expected to cast their ballots across 3,763 polling units in the state’s 30 local government areas.
He added that 14 political parties would participate in the governorship race.
To ensure a smooth exercise, Amupitan said INEC had deployed 4,427 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines, including 664 backup devices, alongside 97 Super Registration Area Centres and 105 Registration Area Centres for the efficient distribution of election personnel and materials.
He also reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to transparency, assuring stakeholders that polling unit results would be uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) Portal in real time.
Insisting that INEC remained non-partisan, Amupitan said the Commission had no preferred candidate and would provide a level playing field for all contestants.
“The outcome of the August 15 election will be nothing less than the true expression of the sovereign will of the people of Osun State,” he said.
He urged eligible voters to come out peacefully on election day, assuring them that every valid vote would count and expressing confidence that the support of traditional rulers would further strengthen public trust in the electoral process.