The Imole Campaign Council (TICC), has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to address what he described as lapses recorded in recent elections before the August 15, 2026 Osun State governorship election.
Speaking at a press conference on Monday, the Director-General of the Council , Senator Olalere Oyewumi, said the appeal became necessary following observations from the 2026 FCT Area Council Election, the Ekiti State governorship election and the June 20, 2026 bye-elections conducted in Enugu, Nasarawa, Ondo, Rivers, Kano and Kebbi states.
According to him, the campaign council believes that the credibility of elections depends on public confidence, warning that democracy would be endangered if citizens lose faith in the electoral process.
He explained that the council’s position was based on reports by accredited election observers, publicly available evidence, independent reviews conducted by its election surveillance team and the experiences shared by voters during the elections.
Oyewumi urged INEC to address the deployment of insufficient ballot papers and other sensitive election materials, alleging that shortages and reported incidents of missing ballot papers in some polling units during the FCT Area Council election disrupted voting and disenfranchised eligible voters.
He called on the commission to ensure adequate deployment of sensitive materials, strengthen chain-of-custody procedures, introduce sanctions against diversion or tampering of election materials and establish real-time reporting mechanisms to address shortages before they affect voters.
The TICC Director-General also expressed concern over alleged distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to suspected mercenary voters in some recent off-cycle and bye-elections, noting that the issue had generated public anxiety.
He warned that the people of Osun would resist any attempt to manipulate the electoral process through the unlawful distribution of PVCs or the importation of mercenary voters.
Oyewumi further raised concerns over allegations of already thumb-printed ballot papers during the Ekiti governorship and FCT Area Council elections, stressing that INEC must ensure that ballot papers and result sheets deployed for the Osun poll remain secure and inaccessible to unauthorised persons.
He also urged the electoral body to ensure that only political parties cleared to participate in the governorship election appear on ballot papers and result sheets, saying reports of parties without candidates appearing on election materials in previous elections could undermine electoral integrity.
On the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), Oyewumi said reports from election observers indicated that technical challenges affected accreditation during previous elections, particularly for elderly voters.
He appealed to INEC to thoroughly test and deploy functional BVAS machines across the state to prevent eligible voters from being disenfranchised due to technical failures.
The campaign council also expressed concern over reports that some individuals allegedly voted without presenting Permanent Voter Cards during the Ekiti governorship election, describing such practice as a violation of the Electoral Act and a threat to the credibility of the electoral process.
Oyewumi cited findings by Yiaga Africa, which highlighted vote buying, BVAS-related accreditation challenges, lapses in results management, breaches of ballot secrecy and inadequate public communication during recent elections.
He urged INEC to treat the findings as an early warning and implement safeguards capable of preventing a recurrence during the Osun governorship election.
The Director-General disclosed that the council’s Election Surveillance and Data Analysis Unit had assessed the recently published Osun voters’ register and found that about 2,500 polling units have more than 500 registered voters, while over 1,200 polling units have more than 1,000 registered voters.
He said the development requires the deployment of additional BVAS machines, election personnel and accreditation equipment to avoid delays, voter frustration and disenfranchisement.
Oyewumi also alleged that the campaign council had received reports of claims by some APC leaders regarding preloaded BVAS machines and illegally printed result sheets ahead of the election.
He called on INEC, security agencies and other relevant authorities to investigate the claims, audit all BVAS devices and result sheets and reassure the public that adequate safeguards are in place to protect the integrity of the election.
The TICC Director-General further raised concerns over the ongoing distribution of new PVCs, urging INEC to ensure transparency in the exercise and prevent collection by proxy.
He said the 381,817 newly registered voters in Osun, as well as others who updated their voter information, should be allowed to collect their PVCs before the election.
Oyewumi urged the electoral commission to decentralise PVC distribution to ward level, deploy mobile distribution teams and organise weekend outreach to ensure that no eligible voter is denied the opportunity to participate in the governorship election.
He maintained that the purpose of the press conference was not to undermine confidence in INEC but to strengthen the electoral process through constructive engagement.
Oyewumi also appealed to security agencies to remain neutral and professional throughout the election, while urging political parties and their supporters to conduct themselves peacefully.
He assured residents that the Imole Campaign Council would continue to engage lawful democratic institutions to protect the sanctity of votes cast during the August 15 governorship election.
