INEC Dumps, Reprints Millions Of Ballot Papers After Court Order To Accommodate SDP In Today’s Osun Election
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that it printed millions of ballot papers and result sheets within 36 hours following a court judgement directing the inclusion of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate in the Osun State governorship election that holds today Saturday.
Osun has 2,339,233 registered voters, out of which 1,906,3,90, who collected the Permanent Voters Card (PVC) are eligible to vote in today’s governorship election, originally featuring 14 candidates.
Ademola Adeleke won the 2022 governorship election with a margin of 28,344 votes against the then incumbent, Gboyega Oyetola of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Incumbent Governor Adeleke is seeking another term; the APC is fielding Bola Oyebamiji (AMBO), while Najeem Salaam is contesting on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
There are 11 other candidates on the ballot.
INEC National Commissioner supervising Osun State, Kunle Ajayi, made this known on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday, assuring voters that the commission was fully prepared for Saturday’s election.
Ajayi said the late court judgement forced INEC to adjust its preparations at short notice but stressed that the development did not disrupt the commission’s logistical arrangements.
He explained that INEC worked around the clock to print the additional sensitive electoral materials required following the judgment.
“In spite of the fact that the thing came late, we were able to print all ballot papers, millions, within 36 hours,” Ajayi said.
According to him, the commission subsequently moved the sensitive materials to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) before distributing them to all 30 local government areas in Osun State.
Ajayi said the distribution was completed without any major incident, noting that the materials had reached the local government areas early Friday morning.
The INEC Commissioner also explained that the commission first obtained a certified copy of the court judgement before acting on the order to ensure that it was valid and issued by a competent court.
INEC had earlier announced the inclusion of SDP governorship candidate, Francis Ajala, and his running mate, Faseke Oladipo, on the ballot in compliance with 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 for its electoral materials since the 2023 general elections.
On the electronic transmission of results, Ajayi assured voters that polling-unit results would be uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
He explained that results would be transmitted as they were completed at polling units, although network connectivity and the volume of data could affect how quickly they appeared on the platform.
Ajayi clarified that IReV was designed primarily for displaying polling-unit results and not for the collation or addition of votes.
“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,” he said.
He further assured Nigerians that INEC would continue to improve the speed and efficiency of electronic result transmission.
Ajayi declared that INEC was fully prepared for the governorship election and assured 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,” he said.
He added that voting was expected to commence early, stating that polling units would open by 8:30 a.m.
The Osun governorship election is holding today, Saturday, August 15, 2026, with 2,339,233 registered voters expected to participate across the state’s 30 local government areas.
The election, originally scheduled for August 8, has attracted significant attention as one of the major off-cycle elections ahead of the 2027 general elections.
President Bola Tinubu has urged voters to conduct themselves peacefully and called on INEC and security agencies to ensure a credible and transparent electoral process.
The President also charged security agencies to protect voters and electoral officials from intimidation while urging eligible citizens to come out and exercise their civic responsibility.
He further called on INEC to use the Osun election to demonstrate its preparedness for the 2027 general elections.
