Voters turned out early on Saturday for the Osun 2026 governorship election, with correspondents reporting large crowds at polling units across the state to check the voter register pasted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
At Unit 7, Oke-Oja, in Osogbo, residents arrived as early as 7:20 a.m. to exercise their franchise, while INEC officials prepared the polling unit for the commencement of voting.
Two queues had been formed at the polling unit—one for elderly voters and another for younger voters.
Accreditation of voters was ongoing, while ballot papers were being distributed ahead of the commencement of voting.
The distribution of sensitive election materials also began early across the state.
As of the time of filing this report, INEC officials were stationed at the registration centre at CAC Grammar School, Araromi, Osogbo, where materials were being collected for onward distribution to various polling units.
A total of 2,339,233 registered voters are expected to decide among candidates from 15 political parties in the election.
INEC prints ballot papers in 36 hours
On Friday, INEC said it had printed millions of ballot papers and result sheets within 36 hours after a court judgment ordered the inclusion of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate in Saturday’s election.
The INEC National Commissioner supervising Osun State, Kunle Ajayi, gave the assurance during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, saying the commission was fully prepared for the election.
Ajayi said the late court decision forced INEC to adjust its preparations at short notice but did not disrupt its logistical arrangements.
“Despite the fact that it came late, we were able to print all the ballot papers, millions, within 36 hours, because hours had no meaning to us anymore. Days had no meaning to us anymore,” Ajayi said.
“We were working day and night as if it were day. So, we were able to complete the printing, and we moved all the materials, all the sensitive materials, ballots, everything, to the Central Bank yesterday, late last night.”
He said the judgment came after INEC had already printed and moved the sensitive election materials to the appropriate locations, leaving the commission with only a short window to comply.
According to Ajayi, INEC first obtained a certified copy of the judgment and verified its validity before taking steps to implement the order.
The commission had earlier announced that it would include the SDP candidate, Francis Ajala, and his running mate, Faseke Oladipo, on the ballot in compliance with a Federal High Court judgment delivered on July 22, 2026.
Their inclusion increased the number of political parties contesting the election from 14 to 15.
Ajayi said INEC subsequently distributed the sensitive materials to all 30 local government areas in the state.
“Because of that judgment, we moved from Abuja to the Central Bank very late. But in spite of that, we were able to distribute to all the 30 local governments without missing any and without any issue on the road. We finished about 5 a.m. this morning to distribute the materials to the local government,” he said.
Ajayi also dismissed reports that the ballot papers for the election were printed outside Nigeria.
He said INEC had deliberately engaged reputable local printers for its election materials since the 2023 general elections.
