The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says 1,906,390 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) have been collected ahead of the Osun State governorship election scheduled for Saturday, August 15, 2026. The figure represents 81.50 per cent of the 2,339,233 registered voters in the state, leaving more than 426,000 PVCs uncollected as the final preparations for the poll enter their last stage.
The latest figures provide an indication of the number of registered voters who are eligible to participate in the election based on PVC collection, although collection alone does not guarantee that every eligible voter will turn out on election day.
INEC said the uncollected cards have been secured with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), in line with its established procedure.
INEC releases Osun PVC collection figures
According to figures released by the electoral commission, Osun has 2,339,233 registered voters, of whom:
1,906,390 have collected their PVCs.
81.50% is the proportion of registered voters who collected their cards.
426,842 PVCs, representing 18.50 per cent, remain uncollected.
6,101 voters who applied for replacement of damaged, defaced or lost cards printed downloadable copies.
INEC also said it had published the PVC collection figures for individual polling units, allowing stakeholders and members of the public to examine the distribution of collected cards.
The disclosure comes as the commission moves into the final phase of preparations for the Osun governorship election. INEC’s official election calendar lists the Osun poll for August 15, 2026.
What the PVC figures mean for the Osun poll
The 81.50 per cent collection rate means a substantial majority of Osun’s registered electorate has obtained the voter credentials required for participation in the election.
However, the figure should not be interpreted as a forecast of voter turnout. PVC collection establishes the potential voting population, while actual turnout will depend on how many eligible voters make it to their polling units on election day.
The sizeable number of uncollected cards also remains relevant to assessments of voter participation. More than 426,000 registered voters are recorded as having cards that were not collected, according to INEC.
For political parties, election observers and civil society groups, the polling-unit-level data can provide an additional basis for monitoring participation and identifying areas where voter registration and card collection have been relatively stronger or weaker.
INEC says preparations are on course
INEC has continued to signal that its operational preparations for the Osun election are progressing. The commission’s website identifies the August 15 governorship poll as one of its scheduled 2026 elections and has provided dedicated resources covering election staff and other preparations.
The commission has also invited accredited civil society and non-governmental organisations to participate as election observers, underscoring the role of independent monitoring in the electoral process.
With voting scheduled for Saturday, attention will now shift from voter-card collection to the conduct of the poll itself, including the deployment of personnel, opening of polling units, accreditation and voting procedures, result management and collation.
Security and voter participation remain key
Beyond voter-card collection, the credibility of the Osun election will depend on whether voters can access polling units safely and whether election officials and political actors comply with established rules.
INEC has said it is ready to conduct a free, fair, credible, transparent and inclusive election, while the commission’s preparations include the engagement of ad-hoc election personnel for the August 15 poll.
The final test, however, will come on election day when registered voters, political parties, observers and security agencies converge across the state’s polling units.
The 1.9 million PVCs collected in Osun establish a large pool of potential voters for Saturday’s contest. The eventual turnout, conduct of voting and transparency of the results process will determine how effectively that voter participation translates into the outcome of the governorship election.
