Election body bows to party pressure, pushes deadline to August 11 amid growing concerns over voter card chaos
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has bowed to mounting pressure from political parties, extending the deadline for governorship and state assembly candidate submissions by three days – moving the cutoff from August 8 to August 11, 2026.
In a Saturday statement, INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee Chairman Mohammed Haruna confirmed the shift, citing “growing appeals by political parties for additional time to complete the process.”
But that’s not all – in a separate development that could shake up the upcoming Osun governorship election, INEC has suspended PVC collection in the state and issued a critical warning: stolen voter cards will be rendered useless at polling units.
Key Updates:
· New Deadline: Candidate uploads now close August 11 (was August 8)
· PVC Replacement Window: Downloadable copies expire midnight August 9
· Osun Election Alert: Stolen PVCs cannot be used to vote – replacements available for affected voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central LGAs
· Collection Chaos: Osun PVC collection extended twice due to overcrowding, now moving to LGA level
INEC reassured voters that replacement downloadable PVCs have been made available for those whose cards were snatched by hoodlums during invasions of two collection centres.
“Stolen cards cannot be used to vote,” Haruna emphasized, as the commission doubles down on its commitment to a free, fair, credible, and inclusive election in Osun State on August 15.
