The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured residents that the recent attack on one of its Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection centres in Osun State will not disrupt preparations for the August 15 governorship election.
The assurance follows Sunday’s attack by suspected gunmen on an INEC PVC distribution centre in Odo-Otin Local Government Area, where officials were reportedly robbed of three packs of PVCs and other election materials.
According to the Osun State Police Command, about 10 armed suspects stormed the Oyinlola DC Primary School, Ward 2, where INEC officials were distributing PVCs before fleeing with the materials.
Reacting to the incident, Adedayo Oketola, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, said the commission remained fully prepared to conduct a free, fair and credible election despite the attack.
“INEC cannot be distracted. We will conduct a free and fair election in Osun. That incident cannot distract us. The election will go on as planned, and we expect it to be free, fair and credible at the end of the day,” Oketola said.
He disclosed that the incident had been reported to the police and expressed confidence that security agencies would arrest those responsible and recover the stolen items.
“We trust that the police will be diligent in their investigation, track those suspects, get them arrested and ensure they face the wrath of the law. We also trust that they’ll be able to recover our devices, including the BVAS that were reportedly carted away,” he added.
Oketola revealed that INEC has configured 4,427 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices for the Osun governorship election, including 664 backup units, to ensure the election proceeds smoothly even if some equipment is lost or damaged.
He also disclosed that the commission has established 97 Super Registration Area Centres (Super RACs) and 105 Registration Area Centres across the state’s local government areas.
According to him, any stolen equipment or materials will be replaced before election day.
“Whatever was carted away will be replaced. Out of the 4,427 BVAS, we have 664 prepared as backups. There is no way whatever happened can disrupt our plans for the election,” he said.
Oketola further dismissed fears that the stolen PVCs could be used for electoral fraud, explaining that the BVAS technology makes impersonation impossible.
“Nobody can use another person’s PVC to vote in an election in Nigeria again. With BVAS, you must tender your PVC and undergo biometric authentication,” he stated.
He assured registered voters whose PVCs may have been affected by the incident that INEC would take the necessary steps to ensure no eligible voter is denied the opportunity to vote in the governorship election.
