“For the number of ad-hoc staff, INEC will be pulling from a pool of over 30,000 NYSC members that we’re working with for the election,” he said.

He also disclosed that 2,339,233 voters were registered in Osun State, but said he did not have the latest figure for voters who had collected their Permanent Voter Cards following the extension of the PVC collection exercise.

“Meanwhile, 2,339,233 voters are registered in Osun. So, I’m not sure, you know, we extended PVC collection. I don’t have the data of the number of PVC collected, you know, but for eligible voters, these are the people who are eligible to vote, 2,339,233,” he said.

On the distribution of sensitive and non-sensitive materials, Oketola said the materials were already in the state, assuring that deployment to local government areas and Registration Area Centres will begin on Thursday.

While explaining the commission’s logistics arrangements ahead of the election, Oketola said the commission would not disclose when the sensitive materials arrived in Osun for security reasons, stressing that they were already warehoused at the Central Bank of Nigeria.

“Right now, sensitive materials are already in Osun. Nobody will tell you when materials arrived Osun. What is most important is that they have arrived. You see, logistics is complex,” he stated.

He said the sensitive materials, including ballot papers, would be moved from the CBN to the local government offices on Friday, in line with the commission’s standard procedure.

“Well, that is the standard, by Thursday we start moving non-sensitive and I mean the remaining non-sensitive materials. The sensitive materials that are ballot papers and all of that will be moved on Friday from the CBN to the local government offices,” he said.

“The police, security agents, electoral officers will be invited to the CBN where sensitive materials such as ballot papers and BVAs will be distributed and moved to the local government offices.

“So, by Friday, RAC centres will open, sensitive materials will move to the RACs and non-sensitive materials will also be moved, including ad hoc staff and security agents. This is including all the vehicles that will move them on election day.”

Oketola said the arrangement was designed to ensure that personnel and materials were deployed on Election Day in time for the commencement of polling.

“This is to ensure that we are able to deploy men and materials on Election Day and then polling gap opens by 8.30am.”

He said the commission was also deploying generators, water tanks and other equipment to the state, noting that the materials could not all be transported at the same time.

“We are going to deploy generators in their numbers to Osun, They are going to deploy water tankers, I mean, water tanks and all sorts of materials, including sensitive materials. These things cannot get to Osun on the same day.”

Oketola said the sensitive materials, including ballot papers and Bimodal Voter Accreditation System devices, had been secured at the CBN, adding that disclosing details of their movement could expose them to security risks.

“The sensitive materials, which are very critical, are warehoused in the CBN. Nobody in any country can tell you that this was when they brought them there. Do you know why? Do you know the number of printers they used? Would they be able to deliver all on the same day?”

He added, “This is logistics. And of course it is also about security. If we tell the public, I will tell you where and when they will be moved. Don’t you know they can be ambushed? So, what is most important is that those things are already in Osun.”

25,310 security personnel

No fewer than 25,310 security personnel have been deployed to Osun ahead of Saturday’s governorship election, with the police, NSCDC and EFCC deploying personnel to secure the poll.

The deployment comprises 15,000 police officers, 10,210 NSCDC personnel and about 100 EFCC officers, according to separate announcements by the agencies.

The security build-up comes as 14 political parties prepare to contest the August 15, 2026 governorship election.

Among the candidates, three have emerged as prominent contenders based on their political strength and visibility: incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress and Najeem Salam of the African Democratic Congress.

On Monday, the NSCDC Commandant-General, Prof. Abubakar Audi, ordered the deployment of 10,000 personnel from 10 neighbouring state commands to reinforce security operations across Osun.

The personnel are being drawn from the Oyo, Ondo, Ekiti, Ogun, Lagos, Kwara, Edo, Kogi, Delta and Federal Capital Territory commands, with about 1,000 personnel from each command.

The deployment will complement the corps’ existing personnel in Osun and cover the state’s 30 local government areas, including polling units, electoral officials, observers, journalists and residents.

NSCDC spokesman, Afolabi Babawale, said specialised units, including the Commandant-General’s Special Intelligence Squad, Special Weapons and Tactics Unit, Specialized Female Squad, Mining Marshals, Special Strike Force, Crack Squad and K9 Unit, had also been deployed.

He said the units would support intelligence gathering, crime prevention, protection of critical infrastructure, crowd control and other election-related operations.

The NSCDC said its Deputy Commandant-General in charge of Operations, Ayuba Phillip, alongside designated Assistant Commandant-Generals and other senior officers, would relocate to Osun to supervise the corps’ election security operations.

Audi charged personnel to remain professional, neutral and respectful of citizens’ rights throughout the election.

He said, “As an agency saddled with the responsibility of protecting critical infrastructure and national assets, the safety and security of election materials and electoral officials are very critical alongside the electorates.

“You have the responsibility of ensuring unbiased synergy with other security agencies on election duty to actualize a free, fair and credible election.

Under the arrangement, the new salaries will take effect from January 2026, while actual payment will begin in September 2026.

The total financial commitment is ₦391.8 million per month, amounting to about ₦4.7 billion annually for both institutions.

A breakdown shows that Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology will receive ₦228.2 million monthly. Of this amount, ₦141.1 million is allocated to academic staff, while ₦87.1 million goes to non-academic staff.

Northwest University will receive ₦163.7 million monthly, with ₦112.2 million for academic staff and ₦51.4 million for non-academic workers.

“To meet immediate obligations, government has approved ₦1.57 billion in the 2026 supplementary budget to cover payments from September to December,” Dawakin Tofa said.

He added that arrears from January to August 2026, estimated at ₦3.13 billion, will be captured in the 2027 budget. The government said the move aims to promote industrial harmony and improve staff welfare.

“This decision will strengthen stability in our universities and enhance productivity among staff,” the statement added.

Governor Yusuf also approved the constitution of visitation panels for the two universities and other tertiary institutions in the state.

According to the statement, “the panels will strengthen accountability, improve administration, and ensure effective management of the institutions.”

The governor reaffirmed his administration’s focus on education and workforce welfare.

“We remain committed to improving the welfare of workers and strengthening higher education as part of our investment in human capital development,” he said.

Naija News reports that the Inspector-General of Police charged the affected senior officers to bring their wealth of experience to bear in their new assignments by strengthening intelligence-led policing, enhancing operational effectiveness, promoting professionalism, and deepening community engagement in line with the vision of the Force.

He also urged them to remain steadfast in safeguarding lives and property while upholding the highest standards of discipline, accountability, and service delivery.

“The Nigeria Police Force remains committed to strategic personnel deployments as a key component of its ongoing reforms aimed at enhancing operational efficiency, strengthening internal capacity, and delivering more effective policing services to all Nigerians,” the statement concluded.