Osun poll: INEC chairman allays fears over BVAS glitches, deploys 5,130 machines

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has allayed the fears of Osun state residents following the technical glitches reported with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) during Saturday’s mock accreditation exercise.

Speaking to journalists after reviewing the exercise, Prof. Amupitan dismissed the issues as “minor” and assured the public that the commission’s IT department has successfully resolved the problems.

To ensure a seamless voting experience, the INEC Chairman announced that the commission has increased the total number of deployed BVAS units and expanded its backup reserves.

“Based on concerns expressed by some political parties regarding the number of BVAS units deployed to the state, we have increased the total number for the election from 4,427 to 5,130 to service split polling units in high-density areas such as Ife East, Irewole, Egbedore, Ede North, and Osogbo,” Amupitan stated.

“Additionally, we have doubled our backup machines, increasing them from 664 to 1,328 for rapid intervention in the event of any malfunction.”

He noted that throughout the mock test, the BVAS demonstrated strong field resilience, successfully verifying voters via fingerprints or facial recognition within 30 seconds to two minutes.

Reiterating INEC’s readiness for the August 15, 2026 governorship election, Prof. Amupitan pledged the commission’s unwavering neutrality and commitment to transparency.

“We do not care who wins the election; we only care how they win. Our sole job is to ensure that the process is clean, that every valid vote counts, and that the declaration reflects nothing but the true sovereign will of the Osun electorate,” he declared.

The INEC boss added that the commission has actively engaged stakeholders, including traditional rulers, political parties, civil society organizations, and community leaders, to foster a peaceful electoral environment.

Addressing security arrangements, Prof. Amupitan revealed that robust discussions have been held with security agencies under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).

“We have received assurances that a specialized, non-partisan security deployment plan is in place to protect the integrity of the ballot and ensure that the citizens of Osun can exercise their franchise without fear,” he said.

According to him, the commission has mapped localized risk corridors, identified flashpoints, and implemented targeted interventions in vulnerable areas, particularly parts of Atakumosa East and West, Boripe, Ede North and South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila, Osogbo, Ifelodun, and Oriade Local Government Areas.

“These hotspot locations will receive specialized, high-visibility security deployments. Security forces have been issued strict operational directives to neutralize thuggery, cult activities, and any attempts at ballot disruption while maintaining absolute professional neutrality,” Amupitan added.