Osun Guber: Osun Has No Zero Polling Unit — INEC REC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has revealed that in preparation for the 2022 gubernatorial election in Osun State, the commission does not have any zero polling unit.

The commission also revealed that the state had the highest number of registered voters during the just-concluded Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).

This was made known by the Osun INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Professor Abdulganiy Olayinka Raji as he addressed the Osun State Council of Traditional Rulers in Osogbo on Thursday.

Addressing the monarchs, Raji also revealed that the electoral umpire had added 573 new polling units to the already existing 3,010 to 3,763 units.

The Osun INEC boss explained that to make the Osun gubernatorial election a successful exercise, the commission has been engaging with stakeholders and has established a good working relationship with the Inter Consultative Committee on Election Security.

In his words, "I need to tell you that the Commission has found it so good with all the security agencies and they have assured us of their readiness to maintain peace in the state during the election.

"We have engaged with the civil society organisations, youth groups, and religious organisations on the need for all citizens to support peaceful election. We have also engaged with the political groups directly and through the Inter-Party Advisory Committee which comprises the chairmen and secretaries of all the political parties."

While disclosing that Osun INEC has taken delivery of over 90% of the non-sensitive materials needed for the election, Raji stated that extensive sensitisation and voter education exercises had been embarked on.

"Effective from the week, we are intensifying this effort. Our jingles on voter education ranging from the civic rights in elections, election procedure, eschewing violence, vote-buying and selling will be aired every six hours."

He also revealed that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) will be used in the Osun election due to its ability to reduce the authentication process and monitor elections in real time.

In his response, the chairman of the Osun State Council for Traditional Rulers, Ooni Ife, Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi commended the Osun INEC REC and prayed for a successful Osun gubernatorial election.