The electoral commission says 81.5 per cent of registered voters have collected their cards ahead of Saturday’s governorship election

The Independent National Electoral Commission, led by its National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, has confirmed that 1,906,390 Permanent Voter Cards have been collected in Osun State, with only two days to the governorship election scheduled for Saturday, August 15, 2026.

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The figure represents 81.50 per cent of the 2,339,233 registered voters in the state, leaving 426,842 PVCs, or 18.50 per cent, uncollected.

INEC disclosed the figures in a statement issued by Haruna in Abuja on Thursday, as preparations intensified for the closely watched governorship poll.

The commission said the uncollected cards had been safely deposited with the Central Bank of Nigeria in accordance with its established procedures.

“Out of the total of 2,339,233 registered voters in the State, 1,906,390 PVCs, representing 81.50 per cent, have been collected,” INEC said.

“The remaining 426,842 PVCs, representing 18.50 per cent, have been safely deposited with the Central Bank of Nigeria in line with the Commission’s established practice.”

The collection rate provides an important snapshot of voter readiness ahead of the election, although possession of a PVC does not necessarily translate into actual turnout on election day.

INEC also disclosed that 6,101 voters who applied for replacement of damaged, defaced or lost PVCs had printed downloadable copies of their cards.

The commission said the polling-unit-by-polling-unit breakdown of collected PVCs had also been published on its official website to allow stakeholders to examine the figures across the state.

The disclosure comes against the backdrop of a competitive election involving the incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party and candidates representing the All Progressives Congress, Accord Party, Social Democratic Party and other political parties.

The ballot was recently expanded to include the SDP after a Federal High Court judgment ordered INEC to recognise and publish the candidacy of Francis Ajala and his running mate, Faseke Oladipo.

INEC subsequently said ballot papers and result sheets were being reproduced to accommodate the court-ordered inclusion.

The development has added another layer to preparations for an election already marked by heightened political activity and security concerns.

The commission, however, said it remained confident in its preparedness for Saturday’s exercise.

“The commission reassures political parties, civil society organisations, media, and the good people of Osun State of its total readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible, transparent, and inclusive election on Saturday, 15th August 2026,” Haruna said.

With more than 1.9 million PVCs collected, attention will now turn from voter registration figures to how many eligible voters actually make their way to polling units on election day.

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The final turnout, alongside the distribution of votes across the state’s polling units, will ultimately determine whether the high level of PVC collection translates into a strong electoral mandate.