The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced the distribution of sensitive electoral materials to the 30 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Osun State ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.
The distribution is taking place at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) office in Osogbo, the state capital.
The INEC National Commissioner overseeing the Osun election, Prof. Kunle Ajayi, said the delay in the distribution was caused by the late arrival of newly printed ballot papers and other electoral materials from Abuja following the recent inclusion of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) on the ballot.
Ajayi said the Commission began distributing the materials immediately upon their arrival to ensure they reached their designated locations ahead of the poll.
INEC had on Wednesday added the SDP candidate, Francis Ajala, and his running mate, Faseke Oladipo, to the ballot for the governorship election, bringing the number of political parties contesting the poll to 15.
The Commission said the decision followed a judgment delivered by the Federal High Court in Abuja on July 22, 2026, in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/344/2026, involving the SDP and Ajala against INEC.
According to INEC, the court ordered the Commission to “forthwith recognise, accept, upload, process and publish” Ajala’s name and particulars as the SDP candidate.
“Consequently, the ballot papers for the election, scheduled to hold on Saturday, 15th August 2026, are being reproduced to reflect this addition, bringing to 15 the total number of political parties contesting the election.
“The result sheets for the election are also being reproduced alongside the ballot papers to reflect the inclusion of the SDP candidate,” the Commission said in a statement signed by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, on August 12, 2026.
INEC had also said the reproduced ballot papers would arrive in Osun State on Thursday, August 13, and be distributed the same day to the various LGA offices across the state, in line with its standard procedure for the distribution of sensitive materials ahead of elections.
