INEC warns transport unions against partisanship, assures Ataoja, others of adequate security
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned leaders of transport unions engaged for the August 15 Osun State governorship election against any act of partisanship, insisting that vehicles and personnel deployed for the exercise must remain strictly neutral throughout the process.
The warning was given by the Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, on Friday, 31st July, 2026, at the INEC State Office in Osogbo, as part of his readiness assessment engagements in the state ahead of the election.
Prof. Amupitan said the Commission had deliberately outsourced logistics to the unions to ensure the efficient movement of personnel and materials, but stressed that once engaged, the union fleets came under the Commission’s control and were expected to operate strictly in accordance with its regulations.
He noted that the Commission had received reports of transport union members displaying political posters and being linked to particular political parties in past assignments, 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 therefore use it in accordance with our regulations. We are not supposed to take sides with anyone,” the Chairman said, adding that any lapse on the part of the unions could trigger unrest for which the Commission, and not the unions, would ultimately be held accountable.
The INEC Chairman also emphasised the importance of prompt delivery of election logistics, disclosing that voting had already been fixed to commence at 8.30 a.m. on August 15, 2026, across all polling units in the state.
He said Registration Area Centres (RACs) would be activated by 12 noon on the eve of the election, with vehicles expected to be on ground ahead of that time to convey poll officials and sensitive materials, alongside security personnel, to their respective polling units.
Prof. Amupitan disclosed that the Commission had deployed a real-time monitoring dashboard that would track the opening of polling units nationwide, stressing that excuses bordering on vehicle breakdown or driver unavailability would no longer be tolerated.
He put the number of local government areas in Osun State at 30, with 3,763 polling units and 322 registration areas to be serviced during the election, noting that some of the terrains were difficult and required union members familiar with the routes.
The INEC Chairman commended the unions for their support in previous elections, including the Area Council election in Abuja, but urged them to rise above internal leadership disputes currently affecting some of the unions and ensure a seamless operation devoid of political colouration.
Responding on behalf of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), the Head of Organisation of the union’s National Body, Olayioye Adesina, assured the Commission of the union’s readiness to deliver on its logistics obligations despite an ongoing internal leadership crisis within the union.
Adesina disclosed that the National Executive of the union had taken over full management of the Osun assignment from the State Council to forestall any suspicion of factional or partisan interference in the process.
He assured that vehicles would be sourced at the state capital for movement to RAC centres, while local branches across the 30 local government areas would handle last-mile logistics to polling units, and gave the Commission an assurance that no branded or politically-labelled vehicles would be deployed for the assignment.
He further disclosed that the union’s vehicles were routinely inspected and certified roadworthy in conjunction with the Federal Road Safety Corps, adding that drivers and coordinators involved in the exercise had undergone sensitisation training on the Commission’s operational guidelines.
From the transport union meeting, the INEC Chairman proceeded to the palace of the Ataoja of Osogbo, on a courtesy visit that formed the next leg of his readiness tour of the state
INEC Chairman Assures Ataoja of Adequate Security
Prof. Amupitan, SAN, has declared that no Osun citizen’s life is worth losing on account of the forthcoming governorship election, stressing that the Commission places a high premium on peace as the election draws near.
Prof. Amupitan stated this on Friday, during a courtesy visit to the Ataoja of Osogbo, His Royal Majesty, Oba Jimoh Oyetunji Olanikpekun, at his palace.
He said the Commission had, prior to the visit, engaged security agencies, including the Police, the Minister of Defence, and the Service Chiefs, to secure special deployment to the state, noting that violence would not be tolerated in the process of determining who governs Osun.
The INEC Chairman appealed to the monarch to use his position to preach peace to the people, particularly to political actors in the state, in order to check the rising political tension ahead of the poll.
He informed the Ataoja that the Osun election, being the last major off-cycle poll before the 2027 general elections, would serve as a barometer for the credibility of the exercise nationwide, and appealed to Osun indigenes to shun electoral violence and allow the will of the people to prevail.
Prof. Amupitan disclosed that the Commission extended the Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection exercise beyond its earlier deadline of 28 July, 2026, after discovering that less than 70 percent of registered voters had collected their cards, adding that the Commission currently has over 2.3 million registered voters in the state.
He further disclosed that a mock accreditation exercise, aimed at testing INEC’s machines and equipment ahead of the election, would hold on Saturday in selected local government areas across the three senatorial districts of the state.
The INEC Chairman decried the spread of misinformation and recycled videos of past violent incidents being circulated to discourage voter turnout, citing a similar case during the FCT Area Council election, which was later traced to a 2011 video falsely presented as recent.
He assured that the Commission, working with security agencies, had put measures in place to protect INEC infrastructure, materials, staff and voters, and to pre-empt any attempt at disruption.
Responding, the Ataoja of Osogbo commended the INEC Chairman for the visit, describing it as a demonstration of respect for the traditional institution, and commended his commitment to improving the electoral process in the country.
The monarch assured the INEC Chairman of the total support of the traditional institution towards ensuring a peaceful election in Osun State, and called on the Commission to provide a level playing field for all candidates in the election.
Prof. Amupitan thereafter rounded off the day’s engagements with a working visit to Supervisory Presiding Officers undergoing training in Osogbo.
Prof. Amupitan, SAN, also warned Supervisory Presiding Officers (SPOs) to be deployed for the Osun off-cycle election against allowing politicians to compromise their neutrality, insisting that materials must not be delayed, diverted, or released in instalments during the exercise.
Speaking, during a working visit to SPOs undergoing training at the Ataoja School of Science, Osogbo, alongside National Commissioners and other senior officials of the Commission, in the concluding leg of his readiness tour of the state.
He charged the officers to strictly adhere to instructions contained in the Commission’s manuals and guidelines, cautioning them against any conduct outside approved procedures. He likened the training to a classroom experience where only verified instructions should be trusted, stressing that the facilitator’s teachings aligned with INEC’s official guidelines.
The INEC Chairman directed that election materials and personnel must be at polling units by 7.30 a.m., to ensure voting commences promptly at 8.30 a.m., warning against any form of delay.
“No delay of materials on your part, no diversion of materials, and please don’t allow politicians to use you,” he said.
Prof. Amupitan described the Osun election as significant, being the last off-cycle governorship election before the 2027 general elections, and noted that public attention would be focused on the SPOs as representatives of the Commission, despite not being INEC staff.
He urged the officers to conduct the election peacefully and in strict compliance with electoral guidelines, to earn the confidence and appreciation of Nigerians. He further disclosed plans to reward SPOs who perform creditably in the exercise.
