Osun Governorship Election: INEC Mandates Neutrality Oath for Security Personnel

The Independent National Electoral Commission has announced that all security operatives deployed for the August 15 governorship election in Osun State will be required to take an oath of neutrality.

Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Oluwatoyin Babalola, disclosed this during a press briefing in Osogbo on Wednesday, where he provided updates on the commission’s preparations for the upcoming poll.

Babalola emphasised that security personnel would undergo comprehensive training sessions ahead of the election, noting that many operatives may not have prior experience with electoral duties.

“We value the importance of security in elections and some security personnel may not fully understand the situation. Those who served in the 2023 general elections may no longer be available, and we have personnel who have never participated in an election before,” Babalola stated.

Training programmes for security personnel are scheduled to take place at the state level from July 13 to 15, followed by senatorial district sessions from July 17 to 19.

BVAS Deployment and Training Schedule

The REC confirmed that 3,763 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System devices would be deployed across all polling units in the state, with an additional 664 units kept as backups. The devices will be used for voter accreditation and for uploading polling unit results directly to the INEC Result Viewing Portal.

Training for Supervisory Presiding Officers will be held from July 31 to August 2, while Presiding Officers and Assistant Presiding Officers will undergo training on August 9.

Electoral Landscape

Voters in Osun State will head to the polls on August 15 to elect a new governor. Incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke is seeking re-election under the Accord Party banner. He faces competition from Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress, Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress, and 11 other candidates.

The REC assured that the commission remains open to advice and strategic recommendations, stressing that collaboration with stakeholders, particularly the media, would enhance the success of the election.