Osun Election: 1.9m PVCs Collected, 432,843 Unclaimed — INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission has disclosed that 1,906,390 Permanent Voter Cards have been collected ahead of Saturday’s Osun State governorship election.

The figure represents 81.50 per cent of the 2,339,233 registered voters in the state, according to the commission.

Mohammed Haruna, Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee, disclosed the figures in a statement issued on Friday.

Haruna said 432,843 PVCs, representing 18.50 per cent of registered voters, remained uncollected ahead of the August 15 election.

He explained that the uncollected voter cards had been deposited with the Central Bank of Nigeria in accordance with INEC’s established procedures.

The commission also provided an update on voters who had lost, damaged or defaced their PVCs and subsequently applied for replacement cards.

According to Haruna, 6,101 applicants who sought replacement of their cards had printed downloadable copies of their PVCs.

“Similarly, it should be noted that some persons with damaged, defaced, or lost PVCs applied for replacement of their cards. A total of 6,101 among those who applied printed downloadable copies of their PVCs,” he said.

INEC also announced that it had published a detailed polling-unit-by-polling-unit breakdown of collected PVCs on its official website.

The publication is intended to provide stakeholders with access to detailed information on voter registration and PVC collection across the state, while strengthening transparency ahead of the poll.

The Osun governorship election is scheduled for Saturday, August 15, with voters expected to choose the candidate who will lead the state for the next four years.

INEC said it had completed preparations for the election and expressed confidence in its readiness to conduct the exercise.

“The commission reassures political parties, civil society organisations, media, and the good people of Osun state of its total readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible, transparent, and inclusive election on Saturday, 15th August 2026,” the statement said.

The commission urged all stakeholders to support the electoral process and remain informed through official channels as preparations for voting conclude.

The PVC collection figures provide an indication of voter preparedness ahead of the poll, while the large number of uncollected cards remains part of the commission’s electoral data for the state.