BREAKING NEWS: Osun LG secretariats closure won’t stop voter registration – INEC

 The Independent National Electoral Commission in Osun State has assured residents that the ongoing closure of local government secretariats will not disrupt the forthcoming Continuous Voters Registration exercise.

INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Mutiu Agboke, said on Wednesday that registration points situated inside locked council secretariats would be relocated to accessible venues so that the exercise can proceed without any hitch.

Speaking at an expanded stakeholders’ engagement in Osogbo — attended by security agency chiefs, political party leaders, civil society representatives, and journalists — Agboke said the affected INEC offices had already been identified and their details forwarded to the commission’s headquarters for necessary action.

“The CVR will start on the 18th of August, 2025, with online registration. Prospective registrants will visit www.cvr.inecnigeria.org to supply their personal information, after which they will generate a slip to present at the local government office within their area of residence,” he explained.

“From the 25th of August, registrants will come physically for their biometrics — fingerprints and facial capture. INEC offices inside local government secretariats are not shut down, but where we lack access, we will relocate them. This situation will not stop the process,” Agboke added.

Local government secretariats in Osun have remained under lock and key since February 17, 2025, due to a political tussle between the Peoples Democratic Party and the opposition All Progressives Congress over council leadership.

The APC has insisted that a February 10, 2025 Court of Appeal judgment restored its candidates elected in October 2022, but removed by a December 2022 Federal High Court ruling.

The PDP maintains that officials who emerged in February 2025 are the ones legally recognised to run council affairs.

On preparations for the 2026 Osun governorship election, Agboke confirmed that the notice for the poll, scheduled for August 8, 2026, had been posted in all 30 local government offices and the Modakeke area office, signalling the commencement of election-related activities.

According to him, party primaries, including the resolution of disputes, will hold between November 24 and December 15, 2025, while submission of nomination forms will run from January 15 to February 9, 2026.

He urged political parties to study and adhere to the timetable, warning that deadlines would be strictly enforced.

The REC also appealed to stakeholders to join INEC in combating vote buying and to help educate voters against selling their ballots.

“The commission alone cannot deliver a peaceful and credible election. We need the cooperation of political parties, security agencies, civil society, and the electorate to ensure success,” he said.