By Peace Erewunmi

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has scheduled Saturday, August 1, 2026, for a mock accreditation exercise ahead of the Osun State Governorship Election slated for August 15, 2026. The exercise is aimed at testing the Commission’s readiness and ensuring the smooth deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) before election day.

According to INEC, the mock accreditation will take place in selected polling units across 12 Local Government Areas spanning the state’s three senatorial districts. The exercise is designed to evaluate the efficiency of the accreditation process, identify possible operational challenges and enable the Commission to address any shortcomings before the governorship poll.

The selected local government areas include Osogbo, Olorunda, Ifelodun and Boripe in Osun Central; Egbedore, Ede North, Ede South and Ejigbo in Osun West; and Ilesa West, Ilesa East, Oriade and Obokun in Osun East.

INEC urged registered voters in the affected polling units to participate in the exercise, noting that the mock accreditation is an important part of preparations to ensure a credible, transparent and hitch-free governorship election. The Commission also reaffirmed its commitment to deploying technology to strengthen the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process.