• Groups demand probe of politicians inciting violence
• Council, EiE Nigeria warn against further bloodshed
• Rally IGP, security leadership to immediately de-escalate tensions
• Yiaga Africa raises concerns over logistics, late inclusion of SDP

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that 1,906,390 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) have been collected by registered voters ahead of Saturday’s Osun State governorship election.

The figure represents 81.50 per cent of the 2,339,233 registered voters in the state.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.

He said 432,843 PVCs, representing 18.50 per cent, remained uncollected.

The Commission said the uncollected PVCs had been deposited with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), in accordance with its established practice.

Noting that the final figures followed the conclusion of PVC collection ahead of the August 15 governorship election, Haruna disclosed that some registered voters whose PVCs were damaged, defaced or lost had applied for replacement.

According to the Commission, 6,101 applicants printed downloadable copies of their PVCs.

Haruna added that the polling-unit-by-polling-unit table showing the number of PVCs collected had been published on its website.

The Commission said the publication was intended to provide political parties, civil society organisations, the media and other stakeholders with information on PVC collection across the state.

In a related development, the Gani Fawehinmi Memorial Organisation (GAFAMORG) and the National Conscience Party (NCP) have called for a thorough investigation into Senator Francis Fadahunsi’s alleged remarks calling for the killing of members of the Accord Party ahead of the August 15, 2026, governorship election in Osun State.

The two organisations, in a joint statement signed by Babatunde Agunbiade and Adeoye Adewunmi Ade, said the allegations were too serious to be dismissed as political rhetoric, stressing that threats of violence during an election constituted a matter of public safety and democratic accountability.

The Osun State Police Command has invited Fadahunsi for questioning over the alleged remarks, a development that both organisations welcomed. However, they said a proper investigation and possibly prosecution must follow an invitation by the police.

“Invitation is not investigation; investigation is not accountability, and accountability must not end in political negotiation,” the groups said.

They cited Section 93 of the Electoral Act 2022, which prohibits threats of force or violence during political campaigns, saying that the law must be applied without fear or favour, regardless of the status of the person involved.

ALSO, the Council of the Wise of the Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development (SCDDD) has condemned the spate of violence and loss of lives reported ahead of tomorrow’s Osun State governorship election, warning that no more human lives should be lost in the pursuit of political power.

The council, which expressed grave concern over what it described as “very negative and clearly undemocratic developments” surrounding the August 15, 2026, election, said the reported incidents of violence, particularly the loss of human lives, were “needless, unpatriotic and unacceptable” in a democratic setting.

A member of the SCDDD, Godknows Igali, who spoke on behalf of the council during a media briefing in Abuja, commended Governor Ademola Adeleke and other gubernatorial candidates for participating in the electoral process and repeatedly expressing their commitment to playing by the rules.

HOWEVER, Enough is Enough (EiE) Nigeria has raised concern over the escalation of political threats, intimidation and reported violence in the final days of the campaign.

In a statement yesterday, EiE noted that the combination of threats, attempts at voter intimidation and allegations of retaliatory violence in the final days before the election is deeply concerning, stressing that no political competition should put citizens in a position where they must choose between exercising their right to vote and their personal safety.

It therefore called on the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and other security agencies to investigate all reported threats, intimidation and violence, including the allegations involving Fadahunsi and others.

SIMILARLY, Yiaga Africa – one of the Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) monitoring the Osun State governorship election – has raised concerns about electoral preparedness, neutrality of security agencies and public confidence ahead of the election.

Yiaga Africa, while addressing newsmen during a pre-election media briefing in Osogbo yesterday, noted that the election would be a major test for INEC, political parties, security agencies, and the electorate.

Also, in her address, the Chairperson of the 2026 Osun Election Observation Mission, Asmau Maikudi, noted that INEC had made progress with preparations across the state, including voter registration activities, recruitment and training of officials, BVAS configuration, mock accreditation and stakeholder engagement.

Nevertheless, she said that technical challenges recorded during mock accreditation remain a concern, warning that some BVAS devices temporarily failed to recognise voters’ fingerprints, facial features and older PVC records.