By Faith Anisiobi, The Sight News
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has sought the support and blessings of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, ahead of the August 15, 2026 Osun State governorship election, reaffirming the commission’s commitment to conducting free, fair, credible and transparent polls.
Prof. Amupitan made the appeal during a courtesy visit to the Ooni’s palace in Ile-Ife, where he led INEC’s senior management team. He described Ile-Ife as the cradle of Yoruba civilization and a symbol of peace, culture and unity, saying it was fitting to begin the commission’s official engagement in Osun State from the palace.
The INEC chairman outlined the commission’s constitutional responsibilities, including conducting elections, registering voters and political parties, and overseeing referendums.
He announced that the Osun governorship election would take place on August 15, 2026, while the 2027 general election would begin with the presidential and National Assembly polls on January 16, 2027, followed by governorship and state assembly elections on February 6, 2027.
Amupitan explained that his delayed visit to the palace was due to INEC’s busy electoral schedule, which includes preparations for elections in Anambra, the Federal Capital Territory, Ekiti, and several by-elections across 11 states.
Describing the Osun governorship election as a critical test ahead of the 2027 general election, he appealed to the Ooni and other traditional rulers to encourage politicians, political parties and residents to shun violence, intimidation and divisive politics.
“No governorship election is worth the loss of human lives,” he said, while warning against misinformation, disinformation, artificial intelligence-generated fake content, vote-buying and other electoral offences.
The INEC chairman disclosed that Osun State has 2,339,233 registered voters across 3,763 polling units, 332 registration areas and 30 local government areas. He assured residents that the commission would deploy the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) to ensure that only accredited voters cast valid ballots, adding that every legitimate vote would count.
He also prayed for a peaceful and successful election in the state and commended the Ooni for his leadership and contributions to strengthening Nigeria’s traditional institutions.
Responding, the Ooni of Ife described Prof. Amupitan as a capable and deserving leader whose appointment was based on merit, expressing confidence in his ability to deliver credible elections.
Speaking on behalf of traditional rulers in Osun State and in his capacity as Co-Chairman of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria alongside the Sultan of Sokoto, the monarch expressed concern over rising political tension in the state.
He said traditional rulers had devoted considerable time to discussing the situation and stressed that the peace and stability of Osun should take precedence over partisan interests.
The Ooni urged political actors to embrace justice, fairness and peaceful conduct, while calling on the INEC chairman to remain independent, impartial and professional in overseeing the August 15 governorship election.
He described the election as a crucial poll that could set the standard for future elections and appealed to the electoral commission to ensure a transparent process capable of reducing political tension.
The monarch also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for strengthening INEC’s independence through democratic reforms, expressing hope that the election would allow the people to freely choose their leaders, deepen democracy and promote lasting peace in Osun State.
