The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed Saturday, August 1, 2026, for a statewide mock accreditation exercise as part of preparations for the August 15 Osun State governorship election.
The electoral commission said the exercise is intended to assess its operational readiness and evaluate the performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) before the scheduled poll.
This was disclosed in a public announcement signed by Ariyo Rufus, Head of Department, Voter Education, Publicity, Gender and Inclusivity, on behalf of the Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Oluwatoyin Babalola.
According to the commission, the exercise will replicate the voter accreditation process expected on Election Day but will not involve the casting of votes.
INEC stated that the mock accreditation would be conducted in selected polling units across the state’s three senatorial districts—Osun Central, Osun East and Osun West.
In Osun Central Senatorial District, the exercise will hold in designated polling units located in Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodun and Boripe local government areas.
For Osun East Senatorial District, selected polling units in Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Oriade and Obokun local government areas will participate in the exercise.
Similarly, the commission said polling units in Egbedore, Ede North, Ede South and Ejigbo local government areas have been selected for the exercise in Osun West Senatorial District.
INEC urged all registered voters assigned to the selected polling units to take part in the exercise, noting that only those with valid Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) would be accredited.
“The exercise is designed to test the functionality and efficiency of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) under conditions similar to Election Day. There shall be no voting during the exercise,” the commission stated.
The electoral body expressed appreciation to residents of Osun State for their continued cooperation throughout the electoral process and reaffirmed its commitment to delivering a free, fair, credible, transparent and inclusive governorship election.
INEC also assured political parties, the media, civil society organisations and other stakeholders that all necessary measures were being put in place to ensure a smooth and successful conduct of the August 15 governorship election.
