Every vote will count in both the upcoming Osun State governorship poll and the 2027 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has promised.
INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan gave the assurance on Friday during a courtesy visit to former Head of State and Chairman of the National Peace Committee (NPC), Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), in Minna, Niger State.
During the meeting, Gen. Abubakar urged the electoral chief to ensure justice for all political parties and maintain strict neutrality regardless of political pressure.
“With the politicians, you need to do a lot to gain their confidence because whatever you and your commissioners do, you will stand accused of bias one way or another,” Gen. Abubakar said. “If anybody in the political system loses an election, you become the whipping child… You must do justice to all and sundry. All political parties are yours; you do not have any political party to call your own.”
Addressing the elder statesman, Prof. Amupitan acknowledged the operational hurdles facing the commission—including late court orders that disrupt preparations—and reiterated INEC’s commitment to delivering transparent and technology-driven elections.
“Just yesterday, my Legal Director informed me of a court order directing us to add another political party after we had already printed ballot papers for Osun State,” Prof. Amupitan revealed, noting that thousands of ballot papers would now need to be canceled and reprinted.
“Despite these issues and the trust deficiency we currently face, we continue to do our best for a successful election,” he added, assuring citizens that their ballots would remain the deciding factor.
The INEC delegation, which also met with former military leader Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (rtd), confirmed that the Osun governorship election is scheduled for August 15, preceded by the signing of the peace accord in Osogbo on July 30.
The commission also reiterated the timeline for the 2027 general elections, with the presidential and National Assembly votes slated for January 16, followed by governorship and state assembly elections on February 6.
Prof. Amupitan concluded by reminding eligible citizens to participate in the democratic process, adding that the current phase of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise closes on Sunday, July 26.
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