The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has sought the support of the media in the campaign against vote buying to ensure the success of the 2026 governorship election in Osun State.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Mutiu Agboke, who gave the assurance at the state office of the commission during the stakeholders’ engagement in Osogbo, on Wednesday, promised that the commission will try its best to ensure that the people’s choice is respected.

He also disclosed that the Osun governorship election will be conducted in line with the Electoral Act 2022, promising to communicate with stakeholders if changes at the National Assembly affect the election.

Dr Agboke urged the Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) to ensure that their parties avoid hate speech during campaign activities, assuring that INEC will play its role diligently.

He expressed concern over the refusal of residents to collect their PVCs, noting that Osun has the highest number of uncollected PVCs.

He said, “Presently, the number of registered voters is 1,954,800; the number of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) collected is 1,594,006; the number of uncollected PVCs is 360,794; the number of Registration Areas/Electoral Wards is 332; the number of Polling Units is 3,763. A critical examination of the above statistics has shown the large number of uncollected PVCs in Osun State. Concerted efforts are being made with stakeholders to continue to create awareness for the electorate, not just to register, but to ensure the collection of the cards.

“I appeal to you all to rise up to continue to support INEC Osun State so as to deliver a credible election. INEC alone cannot deliver a peaceful and successful election. In togetherness, we shall all achieve the desired outcome of our election. Let me assure you all here today that INEC shall ensure a credible process in the upcoming 2026 governorship election. Your vote will count. We shall do the right thing at all times. We shall ensure we do our best to ensure your vote counts.

“For the purpose of emphasis, let me state the unwavering commitment of INEC in Osun State to transparency, fairness, and professionalism.

“Electorate should be educated to eschew vote buying and selling by anyone who may want to trade with their votes. It should be noted that both violence and vote buying and selling are punishable under the Electoral Act. We must all shun them. Media should help against this cankerworm. Civil society must not keep silent in any manner,” Dr Agboke said.

The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has asked political parties to boycott the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission’s (RSIEC) scheduled August 30 local councils elections in Rivers State.

“It’s illegal, unconstitutional and a mockery of our emerging democracy. It’s unacceptable and should be rejected by all lovers of constitutional governance in Nigeria,” the statement read.

Mr Dantalle said the sole administrator has no constitutional mandate to conduct a democratic election because Nigeria is not under a military regime.

He alleged that only an elected governor has the constitutional power to conduct an LG election in collaboration with the state house of assembly.

“The sole administrator cannot arrogate to himself powers in flagrant violation of the 1999 constitution, as amended.

“The sole administrator is not an emperor with absolute power to rule as he pleases.

“Accordingly, IPAC directs all political parties not to participate in the charade and sham called local government election in Rivers State on Saturday, 30th August 2025”, the IPAC chairman said.

Mr Dantalle criticised the political party chairpersons in Rivers backing the election, characterising them as “fake”.

“Gathering political hirelings who claimed to be chairmen of their political parties in Rivers State to endorse the conduct of the purported local government election smacks of desperation by the sole administrator.

“Fake state chairmen cannot give legitimacy to gross illegality, unconstitutionality and abuse of office”, he said.

In a letter dated August 1 and addressed to President Bola Tinubu, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Tajudeen Abbas, Speaker of the House of Representatives; Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC); Kayode Egbetokun, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP); and Adeola Ajayi, Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), IPAC said no LG election should hold in Rivers State until democratic order is restored in the state.

IPAC said it will “explore other legitimate means to ventilate our grievances and concerns” if its request is disregarded.

A member of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Dayo Israel, has disclosed that the party is broke and is relying on the Presidency, governors and other elected officials to fund its activities ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Mr Israel, the APC National Youth Leader, made the revelation on Wednesday in Abuja at the newly established Youth Resource Centre, designed to mobilise young and female voters for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.

The Tide source reports that the APC had in recent months generated significant revenue from the sale of expression of interest and nomination forms for various elections. In February, the party raised N350 million from governorship aspirants in Anambra State, with nomination forms priced at N40 million and expression of interest forms at N10 million, respectively.

Similarly, ahead of the 2026 FCT Area Councils elections, the party fixed its chairmanship forms at N20 million and councillorship forms at N2.5 million. For last year’s Edo governorship election, each aspirant paid N50 million, generating at least N600 million for the party.

In the 2023 off-season governorship elections in Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo states, the APC made over N1.3 billion from form sales. During the 2023 general elections, the party reportedly earned more than N29 billion from aspirants nationwide, with presidential forms pegged at N100 million, governorship at N50 million, senatorial at N20 million and House of Representatives at N10 million, respectively.

Despite these revenues, Mr Israel said the party’s coffers were dry.

“Of course, it’s going to cost money,” he told reporters.

“Here at the resource centre, we need to pool our resources. We have to raise funds personally to even start what we’re doing here. We all know that the party doesn’t have money. We know that the party has to rely on the government, the administration, the president and our governors to support us. That is the reality.

“The party doesn’t generate income apart from maybe during elections, and it has a lot of overhead and other expenses. So there is a lot for us to do. I can tell you that this year, the youth wing has not received one naira from our mother party in any form.

“But we are young people, creative and innovative. We have a duty to support the president, who has appointed many of us into positions. We have to show appreciation by working together to help him, because he cannot do everything alone. We hope that as we impact more lives, we will attract more support for the president and the party”, he said.

When contacted, APC National Director of Publicity, Bala Ibrahim, described Mr Israel’s remarks as an internal matter that should not be “overflogged”.