Less than a year to the 2026 Osun governorship election, the political atmosphere in the state is heating up as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Accord Party have jointly accused the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) of allegedly plotting to gain illegal access to thousands of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) yet to be collected by registered voters.
The two parties, in a strongly worded joint statement issued on Sunday and signed by Osun PDP Chairman, Hon. Sunday Bisi, and his Accord counterpart, Pastor Victor Akande, warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against what they described as an alleged attempt to compromise the integrity of the electoral process through the backdoor.
The parties claimed to have received credible intelligence suggesting that some APC elements were mounting pressure on electoral officials to facilitate the release of PVCs in bulk to the opposition party, allegedly for individuals they described as "imported voters" mobilised during the voter registration exercise.
Describing the alleged plan as a dangerous threat to democracy, the opposition parties insisted that PVC collection must strictly follow established electoral guidelines, stressing that only registered voters should be allowed to collect their cards in person.
According to the statement, any arrangement that permits political actors to take possession of unclaimed PVCs would amount to a violation of the Electoral Act and a direct assault on the credibility of the forthcoming governorship election.
The parties further demanded transparency from INEC regarding the management of unclaimed voter cards, revealing plans to seek official records of PVC distribution and compare them with independent data already in their possession.
The PDP and Accord also referenced developments in previous elections, warning that Osun must not become a testing ground for electoral manipulation.
"We have our eyes on the process and we will not allow the integrity of the electoral system to be compromised. Any attempt to hand over unclaimed PVCs to any political party will be resisted through all lawful means available," the statement declared.
Political observers say the latest allegations underscore growing tensions ahead of the 2026 governorship election, which is expected to be keenly contested as Governor Ademola Adeleke seeks re-election amid increasing opposition mobilisation.
As of the time of filing this report, neither INEC nor the Osun APC had officially responded to the allegations.
The controversy is expected to intensify calls for greater transparency in PVC distribution and voter verification processes as preparations for the 2026 governorship election gather momentum.
