With the Osun State governorship election now two days away, the day's political news again centred on the state: the end of open campaigning, a late change to the ballot ordered by a court, and the security and logistics build-up before Saturday. There was also a reminder on the national calendar — formal 2027 campaigning is close. Here is what happened and why it matters — told plainly and without endorsement.
Campaigning in Osun ends today
Under INEC's timetable, public campaigning for the Osun State governorship election closes at the end of Thursday, 13 August 2026, with the vote set for Saturday, 15 August. The Electoral Act 2026 requires campaigns to stop 24 hours before polling, and INEC fixed today as the last campaign day after the election was moved forward by a week — from 8 August to 15 August — earlier in the year.
Why it matters: once campaigning closes, candidates and parties can no longer hold rallies or public campaign events before the vote. The quiet period is meant to give voters space to weigh their choice and to lower the risk of confrontations in the final hours before polling.
INEC adds an SDP candidate to the Osun ballot after a court order
On Wednesday, 12 August 2026, INEC announced it had added the Social Democratic Party's candidate, Dr Francis Olugbenga Ajala, and his running mate to the Osun ballot, in compliance with a Federal High Court judgment delivered in Abuja on 22 July. The commission said it had reproduced the ballot papers and result sheets to reflect the inclusion, bringing the number of parties on Saturday's ballot to 15, up from 14. INEC said the newly printed ballot papers were due to arrive in Osun on Thursday, 13 August, and then be moved to local government offices across the state.
Why it matters: reprinting ballots and result sheets just days before a vote is unusual, and it shows how a court ruling can reshape the ballot late in the process. For voters, it means the paper they mark on Saturday will carry one more option than the list published earlier — a change driven by the courts, not by the commission's own choice.
Security and materials move into place for Saturday
Ahead of the vote, INEC said sensitive materials — including ballot papers and voter-accreditation devices — had arrived in Osogbo and were being kept at the Central Bank. Security agencies reported a combined deployment of roughly 25,310 personnel across the state, made up of about 15,000 police officers, some 10,210 Civil Defence (NSCDC) personnel and around 100 EFCC officers, with ad-hoc poll staff to be drawn from a pool of more than 30,000 National Youth Service Corps members. On 12 August, Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu deployed a Deputy Inspector-General, DIG Mohammed, to coordinate the police side of the operation alongside senior officers across Osun's three senatorial districts.
Why it matters: Osun is the only governorship election in Nigeria this year, so its handling is being watched as an early signal for the far larger 2027 cycle. For people in the state, a visible and even-handed security presence is what allows voters to reach polling units and cast ballots without fear.
The national campaign season opens next week
Beyond Osun, the national calendar is close to a milestone: INEC's timetable sets 19 August 2026 as the official start of campaigning for the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections, running until 15 January 2027, a day before those polls on 16 January. Campaigning for the 2027 governorship and state-assembly races is scheduled to begin later, on 9 September 2026. INEC published the particulars of the presidential and National Assembly candidates earlier this month as a statutory step before campaigns open.
Why it matters: once formal campaigning begins next week, the parties can hold nationwide rallies and paid advertising for the presidential race. It marks the shift from the off-cycle Osun contest to the long national run-up to the 2027 general election.
PoliticsDirect is non-partisan. This brief summarises reporting from outlets including Premium Times, The Punch, Channels Television, Vanguard, The Nation, Daily Trust, Leadership and Sahara Reporters, alongside INEC and Nigeria Police statements. We describe events; we do not endorse parties or candidates.