The Independent National Electoral Commission has commenced the distribution of sensitive electoral materials to the 30 Local Government Areas of Osun State ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.
The distribution is taking place at the Central Bank of Nigeria office in Osogbo, the state capital.
The INEC National Commissioner in charge of the Osun State election, Professor Kunle Ajayi, said the delay in distributing the materials was caused by the late arrival of newly printed ballot papers and other electoral materials from Abuja.
He explained that the delay followed the recent inclusion of the Social Democratic Party on the ballot for the election.
Ajayi said the Commission commenced the distribution to ensure that all sensitive materials reached their designated locations ahead of the poll.
INEC had on Wednesday added the Social Democratic Party candidate, Francis Ajala, and his running mate, Faseke Oladipo, to the ballot for the governorship election.
The development brought the number of political parties contesting the election to 15.
The Commission said the decision followed a judgment of the Federal High Court in Abuja delivered on July 22, 2026, in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/344/2026 involving the Social Democratic Party and Ajala against INEC.
According to INEC, the court ordered the Commission to recognise, accept, upload, process and publish Ajala’s name and particulars as the Social Democratic Party candidate.
“Consequently, the ballot papers for the election, scheduled to hold on Saturday, 15th August 2026, are being reproduced to reflect this addition, bringing to 15 the total number of political parties contesting the election,” the Commission said.
INEC added that the result sheets for the election were also being reproduced alongside the ballot papers to reflect the inclusion of the Social Democratic Party candidate.
The statement was signed by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, on August 12, 2026.
The Commission had earlier announced that the reproduced ballot papers would arrive in Osun State on Thursday, August 13, and would be moved to local government area offices across the state on the same day.
The movement of the materials is being carried out in line with INEC’s standard distribution procedure ahead of the election.
The Osun governorship election is scheduled to hold on Saturday, August 15, with voters across the state’s 30 local government areas expected to elect the governor who will lead the state for the next four years.