RismadarVoice Reporters, July 26, 2026
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced plans to conduct a mock accreditation exercise ahead of the August 15, 2026, Osun State governorship election as part of efforts to assess its operational readiness for the poll.
The commission said the exercise will take place on Saturday, August 1, 2026, in selected polling units across 12 local government areas spanning the state’s three senatorial districts.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Head of Department, Voter Education, Publicity, Gender and Inclusivity, Ariyo Rufus, who explained that the exercise is aimed at testing the functionality and efficiency of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) under conditions that closely simulate those of election day.
According to the commission, the selected local government areas include Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodun and Boripe in Osun Central Senatorial District; Egbedore, Ede North, Ede South and Ejigbo in Osun West Senatorial District; and Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Oriade and Obokun in Osun East Senatorial District.
INEC clarified that the mock exercise is strictly for accreditation purposes and will not involve voting or the declaration of election results.
The commission noted that the exercise is intended to evaluate the performance of the BVAS technology, identify any operational challenges and fine-tune logistics ahead of the governorship election.
It encouraged all registered voters whose polling units have been selected for the exercise to participate by presenting their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for accreditation.
According to INEC, feedback from the exercise will assist the commission in strengthening its preparations and ensuring a smooth electoral process during the governorship election.
The electoral body reaffirmed its commitment to delivering a free, fair, credible, transparent and inclusive election, assuring political parties, candidates, voters and other stakeholders of its determination to uphold the integrity of the electoral process in Osun State.
