Heavy Security, Calm Mood as Osun Balloting Begins

Voters across Osun State turned out early on Saturday for the governorship election, maintaining an orderly atmosphere despite a heavy security presence.

In the state capital, Osogbo, heavily armed personnel were stationed throughout the city and around polling units to ensure order.

The security deployment follows an earlier announcement by the Force Public Relations Officer during a stakeholders’ meeting on Thursday, confirming that over 15,000 police officers had been drafted to the state to maintain a presence of four personnel per polling unit.

An encouraging voter turnout was recorded across several local government areas, including Osogbo, Ilesa East, Ilesa West, Ede North, and Boripe, with citizens arriving at polling stations as early as 6:40 a.m.

At Ilesa West (Ward D1, Unit 8), officials from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) arrived at 6:59 a.m.

Presiding Officer Segun Adegbaju confirmed that setup was prompt as voters checked their names on the posted voter register.

Also at Ilesa West (Ward 8, Unit 3), a large crowds of voters gathered early to verify their details on the list alongside stationed INEC ad hoc staff while in Ede and surrounding council areas, voters assembled early in calm queues, awaiting the official start of accreditation and voting.

Assistant Presiding Officer Cestus Akilolu, while addressing the voters, said accreditation and voting would commence at 8:30 a.m. and end at 2:30 p.m.

Akilolu urged the voters to remain orderly, assuring them that the process would be peaceful.

At Ward 4, Unit 6, Ede North Local Government Area, INEC ad hoc staff arrived early, while voters also turned out early for the exercise.

Also at Ward 4, Unit 6, Abere, Ede North, voters were seen as early as 7 a.m. checking their names on the pasted list, with INEC ad hoc staff on ground.

At Owode-Ede, voters had gathered at their polling units in large number as of 8:00 am, waiting to vote.

At Ward 4, Unit 13, Osogbo Local Government Area, voters arrived as early as 6:50 a.m., awaiting the arrival of electoral officials and voting materials while at Ward 3, Unit 16, Iragbiji, Boripe Local Government Area, voters were also seen waiting for the arrival of electoral officials.

Voters across multiple polling units expressed satisfaction with the early arrival of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ad hoc staff.

While early arrivers verified their details on the displayed registers, actual voting had not yet commenced at some locations visited prior to the scheduled 8:30 a.m. start time.

A similarly peaceful mood was reported in Ejigbo Local Government Area, particularly at Moyofade Ward 14, where residents turned out in large numbers.

Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines were observed to be functioning without issue as voters double-checked their names on the posted registers.