Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Osun State, has disclosed that 192,702 Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, representing 37.5 per cent of those distributed so far, had been collected by eligible voters across the state.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Oluwatoyin Babalola, who gave the assurance on Sunday during the Osun Citizens’ Town Hall Meeting held in Osogbo, assured voters that every valid vote will count in the August 15 governorship election, while reaffirming the commission’s commitment to delivering a peaceful, credible and transparent electoral process.

Babalola said the commission was still expecting sensitive election materials for the poll, adding that adequate preparations had been made to ensure smooth conduct of the election.

She also revealed that INEC had deployed multiple voter education channels to encourage citizens to participate actively in the electoral process, saying, “we have deployed various platforms to educate voters on the importance of exercising their civic responsibility. Every vote will count and we encourage all eligible voters to come out on election day.”

The REC disclosed that INEC had identified flashpoints across parts of the state, including areas prone to thuggery, communal violence and cult-related activities.

According to her, “the information had already been shared with security agencies to enable proactive deployment and effective security arrangements.”

She said the commission had maintained close collaboration with security agencies, expressing confidence that the election would be peaceful and secure adding that sufficient ad hoc staff had been recruited and that training would commence shortly.

She also announced that a mock accreditation exercise would be conducted on August 1 in four local government areas, one from each senatorial district, to test the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System ahead of the election.

Addressing questions on the reported factionalisation within transport unions in the state, the REC said no faction had been introduced to the commission.

“I am speaking with the representative of the national body. Whatever issues they have are their internal affairs. They have deployed their Director of Organisation to the state and we are dealing with him,” she stated.

A member of the Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities, JONAPWD, Osun State Chapter, Sunday Smith, urged INEC to accord assistive materials for persons with disabilities the same level of priority as sensitive election materials and appealed to the commission to ensure its ad hoc staff received adequate training on supporting voters living with disabilities.

Representing the Osun State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, assured participants that security agencies had developed new strategies to guarantee peace before, during and after the election.

He disclosed that no arrest had been made over the recent developments in Odo-Otin Local Government Area.

Also speaking, the Deputy Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Afuye Kikelomo, representing the State Commandant, Igbalawole Sotiyo, warned that anyone involved in electoral malpractice would face the full weight of the law.

The Akire of Ikire-Ile, Oba Azeez Olatunbosun, described the town hall meeting as a timely initiative that would strengthen citizens’ participation and promote inclusive elections.

He rejected the notion that politics was inherently dirty, saying governance remained a noble calling but had been tainted by violence, intolerance, thuggery and other unethical practices by some politicians.

The monarch described the August 15 governorship election as “an important opportunity for Osun State.

“I appeal to political actors to embrace peace, fairness, tolerance and respect for the rule of law throughout the electoral process. Elections will come and go, but the consequences remain.

“Let us place the peace of Osun State above political interests.”

The Elegboro of Ijebu-Jesa, Oba Moses Oluwafemi Agunsoye, also disclosed that traditional rulers in Ijesaland had taken steps to minimise violence, adding that their collective prayer was for peace to prevail throughout the electioneering period.

Also speaking, both the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, in Osun State, Rev. John Adeleke and Grand Imam of Osogbo, Sheikh Musa Muhammad Robiu Animashaun, urged political stakeholders and voters to maintain peace, stressing that every citizen had the constitutional right to vote freely and without intimidation.

They discouraged religious activities capable of distracting voters during the poll and encouraged educated citizens to participate actively.

They similarly called on all eligible voters to come out with their PVCs, urging them to vote according to their conscience and reject vote buying.

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Ayekooto Akindele has criticized the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC, Peter Obi over a comment the latter made during an interview.

DAILY POST reports that the former governor of Anambra State who featured on Channels TV program on Sunday had said he was unable to conduct local government elections during his tenure as governor due to litigations he could not control.

“The reasons why I couldn’t conduct the Local Government Election were litigation issues I couldn’t control”, he said.

Reacting, Ayekooto in a post on his Facebook page, wondered how the NDC candidate would control the nation’s challenges if he eventually emerged as President.

Ayekooto linked Obi’s comment to the former governor’s alleged inability to tackle the crisis in his former political parties.

“You couldn’t control a small challenge in only one state, no wonder you always run from challenges from one political party to another, giving excuses.

“The irony is you aspiring to run 36 states and FCT despite your inability to control only one state’s challenges”, he wrote.

The Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has insisted on a single-term presidency if elected in the 2027 general elections.

Featuring in an interview on Channels Television’s ‘Sunday Politics’, Obi said he would not spend one day after four years.

He said, “I have said this thing several times. We have what we can call a meeting agreement. We are gentlemen, we must respect it.

“I don’t need more than four years to show Nigerians the right path they will follow. It’s a simple thing. Even if you want me to sign it with you, I sign it with you.

“A day more than four years is not Peter Obi. I want us to start trusting our leaders. When I was going to become a governor, I said the things that I would do, and when I came in, I started doing it.

“I showed everybody. Go and listen to my campaign. I said I would manage their money efficiently. Schools will work, health work. Everything I said, I did it.”