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Osun Mock Accreditation: INEC Fixes BVAS Glitch, Blames Old PVCs
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The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan (SAN), has attributed the technical glitches recorded during Saturday’s mock accreditation exercise in Osun State to compatibility issues involving old Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), assuring voters that the problem was identified and resolved within an hour.
Speaking with journalists at the INEC headquarters in Osogbo after monitoring the exercise, Amupitan explained that the mock accreditation successfully achieved its objective of exposing potential technical challenges ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
According to him, the commission’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) team promptly intervened after reports emerged that some older PVCs were not being recognised by the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
“We initially had a minor hitch, and I call it minor because if it happened during the election, it would have been a major hitch,” Amupitan said.
“We discovered that most of the old cards were not being accredited. This was a result of what we call a compatibility score, or a similarity score. The moment we were alerted, our ICT team worked on it and within one hour the issue was resolved. We didn’t have to wait until election day.”
He explained that some PVCs issued as far back as 2011 had become worn out or defaced, making them difficult for the machines to read, adding that the commission had earlier considered validating such cards for that reason.
The INEC chairman stressed that the mock exercise was organised to detect and resolve any technical issues before the governorship election, noting that a similar incident on election day could easily have been misinterpreted as a complete failure of the BVAS.
“We want to identify problems ahead of time. If this had happened on election day, many people would have concluded that BVAS had failed. But we have the capacity to overcome every challenge,” he added.
Amupitan also announced that the commission had increased the number of BVAS machines for the election from 4,427 to 5,130 following concerns raised by political parties over deployment.
According to him, the additional machines will cater for split polling units in Ife East, Irewole, Egbedore, Ede North and Osogbo Local Government Areas.
He further disclosed that the number of backup BVAS machines had been doubled from 664 to 1,328 to ensure prompt replacement of any faulty device during the election.
Meanwhile, the Osun State chapter of the Accord Party expressed concern over the glitches recorded during the mock accreditation, urging INEC to carry out a comprehensive technical audit of the BVAS configuration before the election.
In a statement signed by its chairman, Pastor Victor Akande, the party described the observed errors as fundamental and called for direct involvement of political stakeholders in resolving the identified challenges.
“With less than two weeks until election day, INEC must demonstrate genuine readiness for reliable, fast and transparent technological applications in the electoral process,” the statement read.
While expressing confidence in the commission’s ability to conduct a credible election as it did in 2022, the party proposed the establishment of a technical committee comprising representatives of all contesting political parties to support INEC in the corrective process.
According to the party, such collaboration would strengthen public confidence and prevent speculation over the integrity of the BVAS.
Similarly, a civil society organisation, the Coalition of Concerned Nigeria Citizens (CCNC), called on INEC to provide a detailed explanation of the technical problems allegedly experienced during the exercise.
In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Comrade Raufu Sodiq, popularly known as “Oluomo Success,” the coalition alleged that several BVAS machines failed to recognise fingerprints, facial features and PVCs shortly after accreditation commenced in some polling units.
The group described the development as disturbing, arguing that a mock accreditation exercise should ordinarily strengthen public confidence in the electoral process rather than raise fresh concerns about the commission’s preparedness.
CCNC maintained that voter accreditation remains the foundation of every credible election because it determines voter eligibility and safeguards the integrity of the electoral process.
The coalition therefore urged the Osun Resident Electoral Commissioner and the national leadership of INEC to publicly explain whether the reported glitches were caused by software, hardware or configuration issues, disclose contingency plans for the state’s 3,763 polling units, replace any defective BVAS machines and consider conducting another mock accreditation exercise before the August 15 governorship election.
“We believe in strong democratic institutions and do not want to see INEC fail. However, public confidence must be built on competence, transparency and accountability. The people of Osun deserve an election where every eligible voter can vote without avoidable technological failures,” the coalition stated.
INEC conducted the statewide mock accreditation exercise on Saturday to test the functionality of the BVAS and other electoral processes ahead of the August 15 Osun State governorship election.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assured residents of Osun State that adequate security measures have been put in place to protect voters before, during and after Saturday’s governorship election.
Tinubu gave the assurance on Thursday through Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who represented him at the APC mega campaign rally in Osogbo organised in support of the party’s candidate, Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji.
The President urged eligible voters to come out and freely exercise their constitutional right without fear of intimidation, stressing that security agencies had been deployed across the state to maintain peace.
He also appealed to Osun voters to make their choice wisely, while calling on the electorate to support the candidate they believe would best serve their interests.
At the rally, Akpabio expressed confidence that the APC was gaining significant support across Osun, pointing to the large crowd and the presence of prominent political figures as evidence of the party’s growing strength.
He also acknowledged support from figures outside the APC, including former Osun governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, while referencing the reported endorsement of Oyebamiji by the Accord Party leadership.
However, Akpabio raised concerns about the poor condition of the Ibadan-Osun road, saying the state deserved better infrastructure and greater development.
With the election just days away, the APC rally provided an opportunity for the party to consolidate its campaign, reassure voters and project confidence ahead of Saturday’s crucial poll.
The election is expected to attract significant attention as major political parties intensify their final mobilisation efforts across the state.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has intercepted an alleged international wildlife trafficking syndicate at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, rescuing two live lion cubs allegedly destined for Congo-Brazzaville and arresting three suspects linked to the operation.
The intelligence-led operation, conducted on August 4, 2026, has exposed what conservation and security authorities described as another disturbing chapter in the illicit trade in endangered wildlife, with Nigeria’s transport corridors allegedly being exploited as a passageway for an international trafficking network.
The operation was spearheaded by the Special Wildlife Office (SWO) of the Customs Intelligence Unit (CIU), working with the FCT CIU, Customs Police Unit (CPU), FCT Command and conservation partner, Focused Conservation.
According to an official report released on August 10 by Assistant Comptroller of Customs Anuhu Mani, Officer-in-Charge of the Special Wildlife Office, the suspects allegedly moved the lion cubs from Kano through Abuja, with Congo-Brazzaville reportedly identified as their final destination.
Acting on actionable intelligence, Customs operatives mounted surveillance around the airport’s Cargo Terminal and tracked a black SUV allegedly connected to the illicit movement.
The operation reportedly took a dramatic turn when a CIU operative conducting a physical inspection of the vehicle heard animal cries emanating from the rear compartment.
When officers opened the luggage area, they reportedly discovered two live lion cubs concealed inside crates.
The alleged wildlife cargo, however, could not produce a customs declaration, passport or diplomatic immunity. Instead, it reportedly produced the cries of two endangered animals.
Three suspects – the alleged owner of the cubs, the driver of the vehicle and a Customs clearing agent – were arrested and are currently being interrogated as investigators work to determine the wider structure, financiers, facilitators and intended beneficiaries of the trafficking operation.
Mani said the seizure demonstrated the Service’s determination to prevent Nigeria from becoming a convenient corridor for organised wildlife crime.
“This operation sends an unmistakable message that Nigeria will not serve as a transit hub or safe haven for wildlife trafficking syndicates,” he said.
He added that with Nigeria’s wild lion population under increasing conservation pressure, the rescue represented more than an enforcement operation.
“Saving these cubs is not just an enforcement success, it is a critical conservation victory,” Mani said, stressing that the specialised unit would continue to deploy intelligence, profile trafficking routes and pursue those profiting from the illegal wildlife trade.
The alleged trafficking operation constitutes a serious environmental crime under applicable national and international wildlife protection regimes, including the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) and Nigeria’s Endangered Species Act.
Following their rescue, the cubs were handed over to Greenfingers Wildlife Conservation Initiative for specialised veterinary attention, rehabilitation and further conservation management.
The interception also underscores the increasingly complex role of Customs in combating organised environmental crime, as traffickers exploit legitimate trade and transportation channels to move endangered species across borders.
Under Comptroller-General of Customs Adewale Adeniyi, the NCS has increasingly positioned its intelligence and enforcement architecture beyond conventional revenue collection, extending its reach into the fight against transnational criminal networks involved in wildlife trafficking.
For the traffickers, the Abuja operation was supposed to be another discreet journey through Nigeria’s commercial arteries. Instead, the cubs became the loudest witnesses in the vehicle – and their cries reportedly led Customs officers straight to an alleged international wildlife trafficking operation.
The message from the interception is therefore both criminal and conservationist: Nigeria’s borders may facilitate legitimate commerce, but endangered species are not contraband merchandise for syndicates to package, crate and export at will.
Rep OK Chinda the gubernatorial flag bearer of APC in Rivers State is best known for his humility both at home and in the diaspora.
In this short video clip, he still displays that embodiment of humility.
Watch:
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