The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Friday intensified preparations for Saturday’s Osun State governorship election, with its office along the Gbongan-Ibadan Road in Osogbo witnessing heightened activity as officials, security agencies and election stakeholders made final arrangements for the poll.

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A heavy security presence was observed at the commission’s premises, where police and other security personnel were being deployed to various parts of the state to safeguard the electoral process.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Osun State, Oluwatoyin Babalola, was also meeting with National Commissioners and supporting Resident Electoral Commissioners from other states to fine-tune logistics ahead of the election. Civil society organisations, accredited journalists and election observers were equally present at the commission’s headquarters to monitor the final stage of preparations. The governorship election will be conducted across 3,763 polling units located in 332 wards spread across the state’s 30 local government areas.

Meanwhile, INEC disclosed that 1,906,390 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) have been collected, representing 81.50 per cent of the 2,339,233 registered voters in Osun State. The commission said the remaining 426,842 PVCs (18.50 per cent) had been securely deposited with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in line with its established procedures. It also revealed that 6,101 voters whose PVCs were lost, damaged or defaced successfully printed downloadable replacement copies. INEC reaffirmed its readiness to conduct a peaceful, credible and transparent governorship election, urging eligible voters to come out and exercise their civic responsibility peacefully.