— Commission Assures Voters Of Credible Poll, Says All Results Will Be Uploaded To IReV
Daud Olatunji
The Independent National Electoral Commission has said it printed millions of ballot papers and result sheets within 36 hours after a court judgment compelled it to include the Social Democratic Party candidate, Francis Ajala, in Saturday’s Osun State governorship election.
The commission also assured voters that results from polling units would be uploaded to its Result Viewing Portal, IReV, as voting and result processing progressed.
The INEC National Commissioner supervising the Osun election, Kunle Ajayi, disclosed this on Friday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, saying the late judgment forced the commission to work round the clock to meet the demands of the court order.
Ajayi said the commission had already printed sensitive election materials before the judgment, but moved swiftly to produce fresh ballot papers reflecting the inclusion of the SDP candidate.
He said, “In spite of the fact that the thing came late, we were able to print all ballot papers, millions, within 36 hours because hours had no meaning to us anymore. Days had no meaning to us anymore.
“We were working day and night as if it were day. So, we were able to complete the printing, and we moved all the materials, all the sensitive materials, ballots, everything, to the Central Bank yesterday, late last night.”
According to him, INEC first obtained a certified copy of the judgment and verified its authenticity before implementing the order.
He explained that the development came after the commission had completed much of its logistical preparations, leaving only a short window to alter the ballot papers and distribute the new materials across the state.
Ajayi said despite the pressure, INEC successfully moved the sensitive materials from Abuja to the Central Bank and subsequently distributed them to all 30 local government areas of Osun State.
“Because of that judgment, we moved from Abuja to the Central Bank very late. But in spite of that, we were able to distribute to all the 30 local governments without missing any and without any issue on the road. We finished about 5am this morning to distribute the materials to the local government,” he said.
The commission had earlier announced the inclusion of Ajala and his running mate, Faseke Oladipo, on the ballot following a Federal High Court judgment delivered on July 22, 2026.
The development increased the number of political parties participating in the election from 14 to 15.
Ajayi also dismissed reports that the ballot papers were printed outside Nigeria, saying INEC had deliberately engaged reputable local printers since the 2023 general elections.
INEC: Results Will Be Uploaded To IReV
As political parties and voters await the outcome of the closely watched election, the electoral commission has promised greater transparency in the transmission and public viewing of polling-unit results.
Ajayi said results would be uploaded to IReV as they were completed at polling units.
“I can assure you of that. All the results will go on IReV,” he said.
He, however, explained that the speed at which results appeared on the portal could be affected by network connectivity and the volume of data being transmitted.
He stressed that IReV was designed primarily for displaying polling-unit results and not for adding or collating the figures.
“The IReV is not an adding machine. It’s not an adding system. The IReV is meant for the display of results from the PUs. That is what IReV is meant for,” Ajayi said.
The assurance comes amid heightened public interest in the credibility and transparency of the election, which is being regarded as an important political test ahead of the 2027 general elections.
‘We Are 100% Ready’
The INEC commissioner also declared the commission fully prepared for the election, assuring voters that polling units would open on schedule.
“I want to state categorically that we are absolutely ready for this election, 100%, not even 99.5%, 100% ready,” Ajayi said.
He said voting would commence early, adding that polling units were expected to open by 8:30am.
The Osun governorship election is scheduled for Saturday, August 15, with 2,339,233 registered voters expected to participate across the state’s 30 local government areas.
The election was originally scheduled for August 8 but was shifted to August 15.
The poll is attracting considerable attention as one of the major off-cycle elections before the 2027 general elections, with political parties and stakeholders closely watching the turnout, conduct and credibility of the process.
President Bola Tinubu has urged Osun voters to participate peacefully and called on INEC and security agencies to ensure a credible and transparent election.
The President also urged security agencies to protect voters and electoral officials from intimidation and violence, while asking eligible voters to exercise their civic responsibility.
He challenged INEC to use the election as an opportunity to demonstrate its preparedness for the 2027 general elections.
'
'Do you want to share a story with us? Do you want to advertise with us? Do you need publicity for a product, service, or event? Contact us on WhatsApp +2348183319097 Email: platformtimes@gmail.com
We are committed to impactful investigative journalism for human interest and social justice. Your donation will help us tell more stories. Kindly donate any amount HERE
