INEC Deploys 5,763 Functional BVAS for 2027 Elections in Osun State
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Osun State has confirmed that 5,763 functional Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices will be available for the 2027 general election. The disclosure was made by the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Oluwatoyin Babalola, in a statement issued in Osogbo on Tuesday.
According to the REC, the BVAS devices will be deployed across all 3,763 polling units and 38 split polling units in the state on election day. The devices will be used for voter accreditation to ensure that only registered voters holding valid Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) are permitted to cast their ballots.
Babalola further stated that an additional 1,328 BVAS devices have been set aside as back-ups, providing a buffer against technical failures during the exercise.
Dual Role: Accreditation and Result Upload
Beyond voter accreditation, the REC explained that the BVAS will be used to upload polling unit results directly to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV). This, she noted, is intended to enhance transparency and give the public access to polling unit election results.
“In Osun State, the total number of functional BVAS available for the conduct of election is 5,763. BVAS will be deployed across all 3,763 polling units and 38 split PUs in the state for voter accreditation to ensure that only registered voters with valid PVCs vote on election day,” she said.
“An additional 1,328 BVAS are available as back-ups. In addition to voter accreditation, the BVAS will be used to upload polling unit results directly to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) for enhanced transparency and for the public to have access to PU election results.”
The REC added that all BVAS devices will be configured ahead of the election, while Registration Area Technical Support Staff (RATECHs) will be deployed to all registration areas to provide technical assistance.
PVC Collection Update
On the collection of Permanent Voter Cards, Babalola provided statistics showing that ahead of the August 15, 2026 Osun governorship poll, 1,903,390 PVCs had been collected, representing 81.5 per cent, while 427,216 remained uncollected.
Following the resumption of PVC collection at the Registration Area and Local Government Area levels after the governorship election, the commission recorded additional collections between October 9 and November 3, 2026. The breakdown includes 287 old PVCs, 5,082 new PVCs, 1,840 transfers and 338 replacements, totalling 7,547.
This brings the overall percentage of PVC collection to 81.74 per cent, leaving 18.26 per cent uncollected. The REC noted that PVC collection is still ongoing at Local Government Areas across the state.
Security Preparations Ahead of 2027
On security arrangements for the poll, Babalola said the commission has commenced verification across all 30 local government areas in the state to identify areas with security threats.
“Ground-truthing exercise is ongoing across the 30 LGAs in order to capture the coordinates of areas with security threats,” she stated.
She added that the commission has deployed the INEC Security and Alert Notification System (INEC-SANS) and trained Electoral Officers, Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) members and other staff on Election Risk Management (ERM). Flashpoints and difficult terrains have also been identified across the 30 LGAs as part of the commission’s security-related activities ahead of the general elections.
The REC called for the support of all stakeholders for the success of the election, assuring that INEC would leave no stone unturned in ensuring a successful poll.
