Osun 2026: INEC Faces BVAS Issues During Mock Accreditation Exercise

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) faced technical problems on Saturday during its mock accreditation in Osun State. The Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines failed at some polling units.

This highlighted key issues that need fixing before the governorship election on 15 August.

The exercise took place in 12 local government areas across the three senatorial districts of the state. It started in the morning with prospective voters showing their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for accreditation.

But less than an hour after starting, the BVAS devices reportedly stopped recognizing voters’ fingerprints, facial features, and PVC details. This brought the accreditation process to a standstill at the affected polling units.

The disruption led INEC’s technical team to start working on restoring the system while voters waited at the centers.

When PREMIUM TIMES reached out, Dayo Olurode, the Public Relations Officer of the Osun State INEC office, confirmed the issue. He said the commission’s engineers are trying to fix the devices but did not explain what caused the problem.

INEC said the mock accreditation was meant to simulate election-day procedures and check the BVAS functionality before the governorship election on 15 August. Unlike the main election, there was no voting planned during this exercise.

This incident raised concerns among election observers and civil society groups. They argued that failure during a test could hurt public trust in the electoral process if not quickly addressed.

The Coalition of Concerned Nigerian Citizens (CCNC), through its spokesperson Raufu Sodiq, said the malfunction raised serious questions about INEC's readiness.

"A mock exercise is meant to inspire confidence. It is the dress rehearsal before the main performance. But what we witnessed today is not reassuring. It is alarming," the group said.

The coalition warned that technical issues on election day could disenfranchise voters and affect trust in the results.

They called on INEC to explain the cause of the failure, disclose plans for emergencies, and replace any faulty devices.

This glitch comes as INEC ramps up preparations for one of the country’s most watched off-cycle governorship elections.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that voter registration in Osun rose from 1.95 million (1,954,800) to 2.3 million (2,339,233), which means over 384,000 new voters signed up.

INEC also revealed that 322,822 newly registered voters, about 62 percent, have collected their PVCs after the extension of the collection period. Previously registered voters also continued picking up their replacement and transferred cards.

The commission said it had configured all 3,763 BVAS devices needed for polling, with 1,328 backup machines ready for emergencies.

They also confirmed that sensitive materials are secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo. Training for ad hoc staff began on 31 July.

However, Saturday’s technical issue may lead to more scrutiny of INEC’s preparations as political parties and observers keep a close eye on the commission’s readiness before the election.

The governorship election on 15 August is expected to be a tough contest between incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and candidates from 12 other political parties.