The Independent National Electoral Commission has disclosed that 1,906,390 Permanent Voter Cards have been collected by registered voters in Osun State ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.
The figure represents 81.50 per cent of the 2,339,233 registered voters in the state, according to the electoral commission.
INEC said 426,842 PVCs, representing 18.50 per cent of the total number of registered voters, remained uncollected as of the latest update.
The commission made this known in a statement issued on Thursday by the National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna.
The development comes two days before the August 15 governorship election, in which Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party is seeking re-election against candidates of other political parties.
INEC said the uncollected PVCs had been safely deposited with the Central Bank of Nigeria in line with its established procedure.
The commission said, “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.
“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 electoral body also disclosed that 6,101 voters who applied for replacement of damaged, defaced or lost PVCs printed downloadable copies of their voter cards.
INEC explained that some registered voters whose cards had been damaged, defaced or lost had applied for replacement.
It said a total of 6,101 of those who applied for replacement printed downloadable copies of their PVCs.
The commission’s latest figures provide an indication of the number of registered voters who have completed the process required to participate in the election.
However, possession of a PVC alone does not automatically guarantee that a voter will be able to vote at any polling unit. Voters are expected to cast their ballots at their designated polling units and must comply with the procedures set by INEC for the election.
The commission said it had also published a polling-unit-by-polling-unit table showing the number of PVCs collected across the state.
The publication is expected to provide political parties, candidates, election observers and members of the public with detailed information on voter card collection in each polling unit.
INEC said the data was made available as part of efforts to promote transparency and allow stakeholders to better understand the distribution of voters ahead of the poll.
The Osun governorship election is one of the major off-cycle elections in the country and has attracted considerable political attention.
The poll is expected to be closely contested, with Adeleke seeking another term in office.
Political parties have intensified their campaigns and mobilisation activities ahead of Saturday’s election, while security agencies have also increased preparations to prevent violence and ensure the peaceful conduct of the exercise.
Concerns over election security have remained a major issue in the state, particularly as political parties and their supporters prepare for the final stage of the contest.
The electoral commission, however, said it was fully prepared to conduct the election.
Haruna said INEC had put necessary arrangements in place and reassured political parties, civil society organisations, the media and residents of Osun State of its readiness.
“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,” he said.
The assurance came as stakeholders continued to monitor INEC’s preparations for the election.
The commission’s responsibility includes the distribution of election materials, deployment of personnel, accreditation of voters and management of the voting process.
INEC is also expected to use the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System to verify voters during the election, while results will be recorded and transmitted in line with the procedures established for the poll.
The collection of PVCs has traditionally been a major issue in Nigerian elections because voters without their cards are unable to participate in the voting process.
The 18.50 per cent of registered voters whose PVCs remain uncollected will therefore not be able to vote in Saturday’s election unless they had collected their cards through the approved process.
The electoral commission’s decision to deposit the uncollected cards with the Central Bank of Nigeria is part of its established practice aimed at safeguarding voter cards that were not collected before an election.
INEC has repeatedly urged registered voters to collect their cards and ensure that their details are correct before election day.
With more than 1.9 million PVCs collected in Osun, the commission said the number of voters with collected cards was sufficient to support broad participation in the election.
The figures will also be closely watched by the political parties because voter turnout could have a major effect on the final result.
Beyond the number of collected cards, the conduct of the election will depend on the ability of voters to access their polling units freely and safely.
Political parties, observers and civil society groups are expected to monitor the process and report any irregularities.
As the state enters the final hours before voting, INEC has maintained that its priority is to ensure that eligible voters are allowed to exercise their constitutional right without intimidation or unnecessary difficulties.