Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned political actors, voters and election officials against engaging in vote buying and other electoral offences ahead of the Ondo South Senatorial District bye-election scheduled for June 20, 2026.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Ondo State, Dr. Mutiu Olaleke Agboke, gave the warning on Tuesday during the quarterly consultative meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) held at the INEC State Office in Akure.

Agboke said the Commission was fully prepared for the poll and would deploy the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (iReV) to ensure transparency and credibility in the electoral process.

According to him, a total of 673,446 registered voters across 1,354 polling units and 66 wards in the six local government areas that make up Ondo South Senatorial District are expected to participate in the election.

The bye-election became necessary following the appointment of former senator representing the district, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, as Nigeria's Permanent Representative to the United Nations by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Agboke stressed that electoral offenders would face severe sanctions under the Electoral Act 2026, including fines, imprisonment and disqualification from participating in future elections.

He listed vote buying and selling, unlawful possession of voters' cards, ballot box snatching, falsification of election results, illegal possession of ballot papers, voter intimidation and campaigns based on religion or ethnicity among offences that would attract stiff penalties.

"Nothing will determine the winner of any election other than the votes of the people," the REC declared.

He revealed that all voter registers for the six local government areas of Ese-Odo, Ilaje, Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo, Irele, Odigbo and Okitipupa had been verified and cleaned, while recruitment and training of ad hoc personnel were at advanced stages.

The REC appealed to security agencies to ensure early deployment of personnel to facilitate the movement of election materials and officials, noting that Ondo State had established a reputation for timely deployment during elections.

Agboke disclosed that sensitive materials, including ballot papers and result sheets, would be stored in the secured vault of the Central Bank of Nigeria in Akure, while BVAS devices earmarked for the election had been tested and certified fit for deployment.

He added that backup BVAS machines had also been provided to address any technical challenges that may arise on election day.

The REC further said voter education campaigns were ongoing through radio programmes, community engagements, social media and collaboration with civil society organisations to reach residents, particularly in the riverine communities of Ilaje and Ese-Odo.

He urged political parties, party agents, election observers and media practitioners to comply strictly with electoral guidelines and conduct themselves peacefully throughout the exercise.

Agboke reiterated that the success of the bye-election would depend on the collective efforts of INEC, security agencies, political parties, civil society groups and the electorate, assuring stakeholders of the Commission's commitment to a free, fair and credible poll.