The Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, for Osun State, Dr Mutiu Agboke, has urged all Electoral Officers and staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in the state to demonstrate utmost professionalism and dedication as the Continuous Voter Registration, CVR, exercise begins.
The CVR exercise is in preparation for the Osun 2026 governorship election which INEC had formally announced will hold on Saturday, August 8, 2026.
Also, DAILY POST had reported on Monday that INEC has revealed that the CVR exercise in Osun will start on August 18, 2025 for online registration and on August 25, 2025 for physical registration.
Speaking on Tuesday at a strategic engagement session with Electoral Officers, EOs, Assistant Electoral Officers, AEOs, Heads of Units, HoUs, and other staff which held at the INEC State Office in Osogbo, Dr Agboke emphasised the critical role they play in the electoral process, especially at the local government level where the majority of electoral activities occur.
“This meeting is very crucial at this point in time because of the importance of the upcoming electoral exercises. There shall be no room for indolence and lackadaisical attitudes of any kind. The time to work is now: Are you all ready for the work?,” Dr Agboke stated.
Dr Agboke reminded staff that online registration for voters would commence on August 18, 2025, while physical registration at INEC offices across all 30 local government areas of Osun State, including the state office, would follow on August 25, 2025.
While announcing that there would be two registration centres at each location to ensure wider coverage, he also listed four key services eligible voters can access during the registration period which include; “new registration for those 18 years and above, correction or update of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), transfer to new polling units, and replacement of lost or damaged PVCs.”
While outlining the importance of staff preparedness, Dr Agboke warned of likely challenges such as crowd control, preventing disruptions or assaults, and ensuring that the process is free of political manipulation or personal exploitation.
He stressed that under no circumstances should staff solicit or accept favours.
“You must not perform below expectations. Best practice standard is expected from you. You must not let the commission down in any form. You must show competence, professionalism and the trust reposed in you by the people of Osun State,” he said firmly.
The REC who issued a strong warning against attempts to compromise the integrity of the registration exercise also urged officers not to fall into the traps of nepotism, favouritism, or dereliction of duty but that they should remain focused and committed throughout the exercise.
“Do not allow the evil ones whisper criminality into your hearing. This is not the time to use your selfish interest to disorganise the well-structured arrangements made by the commission. This is not the time for redundancy, truancy, or carelessness. You have a statutory responsibility, and you must not fail,” he warned.
Dr Agboke acknowledged the dedication and commitment of the staff so far and encouraged them to continue in the same spirit.
