Osun REC dismisses allegations of election rigging ahead of 2026 poll

By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo –

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Osun State, Dr. Mutiu Agboke, has dismissed claims that the commission is involved in any plot to rig the 2026 governorship election in the state.

The clarification comes in response to allegations by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, had boasted of securing INEC’s cooperation to ensure an All Progressives Congress (APC) victory in the coming poll.

Speaking during an interactive session with members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Osogbo on Tuesday, Agboke denied any such meeting or arrangement with political actors.

He said no individual or group has approached INEC in Osun for any irregular or illegal arrangement regarding the 2026 election, stressing that the commission under his leadership remains committed to transparency and due process.

“If there are two INECs in Osun State, maybe that’s the one they are referring to,” Agboke said. “But in the INEC I am superintending, nobody has met with us to do any irregularities. Our duty is clearly defined by regulations, and we will not compromise that.”

Agboke also reiterated that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) remains an essential tool in the electoral process, emphasizing that the device functions offline for accreditation and only requires a network when uploading results.

“Anyone claiming BVAS needs a network to work during accreditation is lying. It only needs a network when uploading results to the portal,” he clarified.

He urged journalists and the media to continue partnering with INEC in promoting credible elections by discouraging electoral malpractice, including vote buying and violence, which undermine the democratic process.