The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has directed Electoral Officers, EOs, and Assistant Electoral Officers, AEOs, in Osun State to step up grassroots voter education and prioritize inclusivity ahead of the August 15, 2026 governorship election.
The directive was issued Monday at a Joint Implementation Meeting of INEC’s Voter Education & Publicity, VEP, and Gender & Inclusivity, G&I, Departments held at El Bee Grandeur and Longue, Osogbo. The Commission warned that voter apathy remains a critical threat to electoral participation in Nigeria.
Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Mrs. Oluwatoyin O. Babalola, told participants that “election is a process, not an event” and stressed that successful polls depend on meticulous planning, public sensitization, and deliberate efforts to reach every eligible voter.
“For a stand-alone Governorship Election such as the forthcoming Osun State Governorship Election, the responsibilities of the VEP Department become more critical,” Babalola said. “Citizens must understand not only when elections will hold but also why their participation matters.”
She listed key VEP activities to include awareness campaigns, community-based education at markets, motor parks, religious centres and schools, stakeholder engagement, and countering misinformation online. On inclusivity, she said it is “not merely a policy objective but a democratic imperative,” mandating the G&I Desk to target women, Persons with Disabilities, PWDs, youths, the elderly and other marginalized groups.
Babalola urged every EO and AEO to identify communities with low voter turnout, build relationships with traditional and religious leaders, and ensure “every woman, young person, elderly citizen, and person with disability must be made to feel that the electoral process belongs to them.”
Director of VEP, Mrs. Victoria Etta-Messi, said the joint meeting was convened because both departments share the same target audience. She noted that INEC is working with partners including the National Orientation Agency, NOA, and the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, under NICVEP/SICVEP to boost citizen engagement.
Director of G&I, Mrs. Lakunuya Dorothy Bello, said the meeting aimed to align plans and address barriers such as limited awareness, accessibility challenges, and socio-cultural constraints. “Experience from previous elections has shown that deliberate and sustained efforts are required to achieve meaningful inclusion,” she stated.
INEC reiterated its commitment to delivering an August 15 poll that is peaceful, inclusive, credible, transparent, and marked by substantial voter participation.
The Osun 2026 governorship election is a standalone off-cycle poll.
