By Faith Anisiobi, The Sight News
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned transport unions and election officials against partisanship ahead of the August 15 Osun State governorship election, stressing that neutrality, timely deployment of personnel and materials, and peaceful conduct are critical to the success of the poll.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), gave the warning on Friday during a series of engagements in Osogbo as part of the Commission’s readiness assessment ahead of the election.
Addressing leaders of transport unions at the INEC State Office, Prof. Amupitan said vehicles engaged for election duties would operate strictly under the Commission’s control and must not display political affiliations or be used to support any political party.
He said INEC had received reports of transport union members displaying political posters during previous elections, warning that such conduct would not be tolerated in Osun.
“The moment we engage you for the purpose of this election, we are supposed to own your fleet and use it in accordance with our regulations. We are not supposed to take sides with anyone,” he said.
The INEC chairman disclosed that voting would commence at 8:30 a.m. on August 15, while Registration Area Centres (RACs) would be activated from 12 noon on the eve of the election. He added that a real-time monitoring dashboard had been deployed to track the opening of polling units nationwide, making excuses such as vehicle breakdowns or driver unavailability unacceptable.
According to him, Osun has 30 local government areas, 322 registration areas and 3,763 polling units, many of which are located in difficult terrains requiring experienced drivers.
Responding, the Head of Organization of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Olayioye Adesina, assured the Commission that the union would provide neutral, roadworthy vehicles for the election despite its internal leadership crisis.
He said the union’s National Executive had taken over coordination of the Osun assignment to eliminate any suspicion of factional or political interference and pledged that no branded or politically identified vehicles would be used.
As part of his readiness tour, Prof. Amupitan also paid a courtesy visit to the Ataoja of Osogbo, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji Olanikpekun, where he declared that no Osun citizen’s life was worth losing over the election.
He disclosed that INEC had engaged security agencies, including the Police, the Minister of Defence and the Service Chiefs, to ensure adequate security before, during and after the poll.
The chairman appealed to the traditional ruler to encourage political actors and residents to embrace peace, describing the Osun governorship election as the last major off-cycle election before the 2027 general elections and a test of the country’s electoral credibility.
Prof. Amupitan also revealed that INEC extended the Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection exercise after fewer than 70 per cent of registered voters collected their cards. He said the state currently has more than 2.3 million registered voters.
He further announced that a mock accreditation exercise would be held in selected local government areas across the state’s three senatorial districts to test the Commission’s equipment ahead of the election.
The INEC chairman also cautioned residents against believing misinformation and recycled videos intended to create fear and suppress voter turnout, assuring that security agencies had put measures in place to protect election personnel, materials and voters.
In his response, the Ataoja commended the Commission for engaging the traditional institution and pledged the support of traditional rulers towards ensuring a peaceful election while urging INEC to provide a level playing field for all contestants.
Prof. Amupitan concluded his visit with an inspection of the training of Supervisory Presiding Officers (SPOs), where he warned them against compromising their neutrality or allowing politicians to influence their conduct.
He directed the officers to ensure that election materials and personnel arrive at polling units by 7:30 a.m. to enable voting to begin promptly at 8:30 a.m., warning against delays, diversion of materials or releasing materials in installments.
He urged the SPOs to strictly comply with the Commission’s guidelines, describing the Osun governorship election as a major assignment that would attract national attention ahead of the 2027 general elections. The INEC chairman also promised to reward officials who distinguished themselves through exemplary performance during the exercise.
