Fresh concerns have emerged over the preparedness of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the August 15, 2026, Osun State governorship election following allegations that many eligible voters, including a public affairs analyst and advocate of good governance, have been omitted from the voters’ register despite completing the required registration and transfer procedures.

The alarm was raised on Monday by Oluwatosin Babatunde, a public affairs analyst and advocate of good governance, who warned that the alleged omissions could disenfranchise qualified voters and undermine public confidence in the credibility of the forthcoming governorship election if not urgently addressed.

Speaking at a press conference in Osogbo, Babatunde said complaints had continued to emerge from different parts of Osun State from eligible voters who either completed fresh voter registration, transferred their voter registration from other states to Osun State or transferred between wards within the state, but could not find their names on the voters’ register displayed by INEC.

He disclosed that he was personally affected by the development, explaining that he officially transferred his voter registration from Kwara State to Osun State on January 26, 2026, and was issued an acknowledgment slip after completing the process.

According to him, his name was missing when the voters’ register was displayed, while he had also been unable to collect his Permanent Voter Card (PVC).

“I am not speaking only on behalf of others; I am personally affected. I transferred my voter registration from Kwara State to Osun State through INEC on January 26, 2026, and fulfilled every requirement. I was issued an acknowledgment slip, yet my name was not on the displayed voters’ register. I have equally been unable to collect my PVC.

“From my interactions with affected residents across the state, it is obvious that this is not an isolated case. Several eligible voters who complied with INEC’s guidelines are facing similar challenges,” Babatunde said.

He described the development as a serious threat to the integrity of the electoral process, insisting that every qualified Nigerian who had fulfilled all legal requirements should not be denied the opportunity to vote because of administrative lapses.

“The right to vote is a constitutional right. No eligible citizen should lose that right because of technical errors or omissions in the voters’ register. The credibility of any election begins with an accurate and inclusive register of voters,” he stated.

The public affairs analyst called on INEC to immediately investigate the complaints, publicly explain the reasons behind the omissions and establish a transparent mechanism through which affected voters could regularise their registration before election day.

He also urged the electoral umpire to ensure that all eligible voters whose registration or transfer had been successfully processed were reflected in the final voters’ register and that those yet to receive their Permanent Voter Cards were able to collect them before the poll.

Babatunde further appealed to civil society organisations, political parties, election observer groups, traditional rulers, religious leaders and the media to closely monitor the situation in order to safeguard the credibility of the election.

While insisting that his intervention was non-partisan and driven solely by the need to promote transparency, accountability and good governance, he urged affected voters to remain peaceful, preserve their registration documents and continue engaging INEC through lawful means.

He warned that if the concerns were not addressed within a reasonable time, affected voters might have no option but to seek legal redress to protect their constitutional right to participate in the governorship election.

As of the time of filing this report, INEC had yet to respond to the allegations.