Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has unveiled a new reward scheme for outstanding staff, including cash incentives, letters of commendation and opportunities for foreign travel, as the Commission intensifies preparations for the August 15 Osun State governorship election.
Prof. Amupitan announced the initiative on Tuesday during a working visit to the INEC headquarters in Osogbo, where he met with electoral officers and other members of staff. The visit followed a courtesy call by the Commission’s delegation on the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi.
Addressing staff, the INEC chairman said the Commission faced enormous expectations to deliver a credible governorship election in Osun, describing the poll as a crucial test ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“We have just come from the palace of the Ooni of Ife, and the expectation on INEC is very high. We have to do everything within our powers to reduce the tension and conduct a credible election,” he said.
Amupitan said the Commission had introduced a performance based reward system to encourage excellence among its workforce.
“We have started a scheme whereby there are rewards for hard work. The best Electoral Officer and the best local government that ensures elections commence by 8:30 a.m. in all polling units will receive prizes. Apart from monetary rewards, there will be letters of recommendation and opportunities for foreign travel. These are some of the measures we are introducing to motivate staff,” he said.
He, however, warned that officials who fail to ensure the timely commencement of voting would face serious consequences.
The INEC chairman said the Commission was determined to conduct a successful election with the support of ad hoc personnel, noting that since assuming office nine months ago, INEC had successfully conducted governorship elections in Anambra and Ekiti, area council elections in the FCT, as well as about 11 bye-elections without major disputes.
He also raised concerns over recent security challenges, revealing that BVAS machines were hijacked and staff assaulted during an incident last week.
“We are taking measures to secure our facilities, election materials and, most importantly, the lives of our staff and voters,” he said.
According to him, the Commission is working closely with the Inter Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) and the National Peace Committee to sustain peace before, during and after the election. He added that security assessments in Osun had improved from “very high” in June to “medium.”
Amupitan also stressed the need for sustainable funding for election management, noting that the cost of conducting governorship elections had continued to rise.
He further urged officials to remain vigilant against misinformation and disinformation capable of undermining the electoral process.
“Our responsibility is to ensure an atmosphere that is free, credible and conclusive while protecting our staff, election officials and voters,” he said.
The National Commissioner supervising the South West, Prof. Kunle Ajayi, described Amupitan as “a great welfarist” committed to improving staff welfare.
He expressed confidence in the Commission’s preparedness for the Osun governorship election, saying INEC remained committed to delivering a free, fair, inclusive and conclusive poll.
Earlier, the Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Barrister Oluwatoyin Babalola, assured the chairman that the state’s workforce was fully prepared for the exercise.
“Osun must set the standard. Every decision we make, every material we account for and every polling unit we manage will shape public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process,” she said.
Babalola pledged that staff would carry out their responsibilities with diligence, patriotism and integrity to ensure a free, fair, credible, inclusive and transparent election.
