The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Osun State has called on journalists to uphold professional standards ahead of the 2027 general elections by ensuring accurate, timely and impartial coverage of electoral activities.
The commission also urged media practitioners to support its voter education and public enlightenment initiatives as preparations for the polls gather momentum.
The Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Oluwatoyin Babalola, reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to “continuous improvement, transparency, accountability, and the delivery of credible elections”.
Babalola made the remarks on Monday during a press conference, where she provided updates on INEC’s level of preparedness, operational plans and pending assignments ahead of the forthcoming elections.
She said the commission would maintain its collaboration with media organisations, security agencies, civil society groups and other relevant stakeholders to guarantee the successful conduct of the 2027 general elections.
The REC further assured the people of Osun State that INEC was making adequate arrangements to deliver elections that would be free, fair, credible, inclusive and transparent.
According to her, the commission had completed nine out of the 14 activities contained in its election timetable, while efforts were ongoing to fulfil the remaining obligations within the stipulated timeframe.
She announced that the final register of voters would be made public on December 15, while the official notice of poll was scheduled for publication on December 29.
Giving details of the election schedule, Babalola said,
“campaigns for the presidential and National Assembly elections would end on January 14, while those for the State House of Assembly election would close on February 4.
“The presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, while the State House of Assembly election would hold on February 6.”
She noted that INEC had completed the display of the preliminary voters’ register across registration areas in the state, providing an opportunity for eligible residents to examine their information and raise complaints or objections where necessary.
Babalola explained that the commission would consider and resolve all submissions before releasing the final register of voters on December 15.
Providing an update on Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), the REC revealed that 1,903,390 cards had been issued before the last governorship election, accounting for 81.5 per cent of the available cards, while 457,260 were yet to be collected.
She added that an additional 7,547 PVCs had been distributed since the exercise resumed on October 9, increasing the overall distribution rate to 81.74 per cent, with 18.26 per cent of the cards still awaiting collection.
The electoral commissioner also confirmed that INEC had adequate Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines to service the 3,763 polling units across the state.
She said the commission had acquired 38 additional units alongside 1,328 backup machines, noting that the equipment would facilitate voter verification, accreditation and the electronic transmission of polling unit results to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.
On the recruitment of election personnel, Babalola disclosed that the engagement of ad hoc workers had commenced through the INEC Press Portal, encouraging qualified applicants to take advantage of the opportunity.
“The recruitment process would prioritise competence, neutrality, integrity and professionalism. Training had already commenced for commission officials, including coalition support and result verification officers and Electoral Operations Support Centre personnel,”she said.
She further disclosed that the commission had held capacity-building sessions covering election logistics, risk management, monitoring and support services, alongside the training and certification of electoral trainers.
According to her, additional training programmes would be organised for security operatives, presiding officers, supervising presiding officers, coalition officers and other electoral personnel to strengthen their capacity ahead of the elections.
Speaking on security arrangements, Babalola said INEC had undertaken a ground assessment across the state’s 30 local government areas to identify security-sensitive locations and document their geographical coordinates.
She explained that the information gathered had been forwarded to relevant security agencies to support preventive interventions and effective deployment of personnel.
The REC added that the commission would also utilise its INEC Security and Notification System to track potential threats and facilitate prompt responses to security-related incidents.
She disclosed that 98 Super Registration Area Centres and 97 Registration Area Centres had been earmarked across Osun State as temporary accommodation facilities for electoral personnel before their deployment.
On the distribution of election materials, Babalola said reusable non-sensitive materials retrieved after the governorship election had undergone cleaning and were returned to the various local government offices.
She, however, explained that sensitive election materials, including ballot papers and result sheets, would be delivered shortly before the commencement of the general elections.
Addressing voter sensitisation and media engagement, the REC said INEC had expanded its public enlightenment campaigns to reach women, persons with disabilities, young people and other segments of the population.
She explained that the awareness campaigns were being implemented through radio and television broadcasts, jingles and engagements with relevant stakeholders to improve public understanding of the electoral process.
Babalola also announced that the media accreditation portal had been opened on October 30 and would close on December 1, urging media organisations intending to cover the elections to complete their accreditation before the deadline.
