Governorship candidate of the Zenith Labour Party, ZLP, in the forthcoming Osun State election, Olufemi Adesuyi, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to strengthen security at Permanent Voter Card, PVC, distribution centres across the state.
This is following the reported theft of voter cards in Okuku, Odo-Otin Local Government Area on Sunday.
Adesuyi, who made the appeal in a statement issued on Tuesday, stressed that enhanced protection at the 332 ward collection centres was essential to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
He called on the Osun INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Oluwatoyin Babalola, to work closely with security agencies to ensure adequate deployment of personnel to all PVC collection locations, particularly in vulnerable rural communities.
According to the ZLP standard-bearer, “the reported incident in Okuku should prompt immediate preventive measures to avoid similar occurrences in other parts of the state where eligible voters are collecting their cards.”
Adesuyi said the security of electoral materials remained fundamental to public confidence in the election, adding that every registered voter deserved unhindered access to their PVC without fear of disruption or criminal interference.
“We cannot afford a situation where citizens who have fulfilled their civic responsibility by registering are denied access to their Permanent Voter Cards because of security lapses or criminal activities,” he said.
He stated that, “The protection of PVCs and other electoral materials is critical to the credibility of the election. INEC should immediately reinforce security at all designated collection centres across Osun State.”
Adesuyi also warned that the reported theft in Odo-Otin should not be treated as an isolated incident, saying it exposed potential vulnerabilities that could threaten the ongoing PVC distribution exercise if left unaddressed.
“The Odo Otin incident should serve as a wake-up call. If one collection centre can be compromised, others may also be at risk. We urge the Resident Electoral Commissioner to act swiftly by securing all PVC distribution centres. Protect the votes and protect democracy,” he added.
The appeal is coming after reports that suspected hoodlums invaded a PVC distribution centre located at Oyinlola DC Primary School in Okuku during the ongoing collection exercise organised by INEC.
Witnesses said the assailants allegedly fired gunshots into the air, causing panic among residents and prospective voters before fleeing with packs of Permanent Voter Cards kept near officials attending to registrants.
