The gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Oyo State, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, has raised the alarm over an alleged attack on his wife, Mrs Tawakalitu Alli.

Alli also disclosed that some hoodlums attacked the party’s Oyo South senatorial candidate, Remi Oseni, and its House of Representatives candidate for the Ibadan North-West/Ibadan South-West Federal Constituency, Hon. Folake Olunloyo-Oshinlowo.

Alli made the claim in a statement signed by the director of his campaign organisation, Bisi Oladele, made available to DAILY POST on Thursday.

He explained that some hoodlums attacked his wife during a programme at Ibikunle Palace in Ibadan on Wednesday.

He added that some miscreants also attacked Oseni and Olunloyo-Oshinlowo at separate locations in Ibadan on Wednesday.

Reacting, Alli described the attacks as unwarranted and barbaric.

“As the chief security officer of the state, Governor Makinde carries the responsibility to protect all residents, irrespective of their political leanings.

“The SSACO calls on security agencies to fish out these perpetrators of violence and bring them to book in order to serve justice to the victims and also serve as a deterrent to violence in our dear state,” he said.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced the display of the preliminary register of voters and distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) as preparations for the 2027 general elections continue across the country.

Scheduled to run from October 9 to October 15, 2026, the seven-day exercise will allow registered voters to verify their personal details, submit claims and objections where necessary, and collect their PVCs from the first phase of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise conducted between August and December 2025.

The exercise is taking place at Registration Area centres in Plateau and Sokoto states, with the commission urging eligible voters to participate and ensure that their information is correctly captured in the voter register ahead of the elections.

INEC said the verification process was necessary to improve the accuracy of the register and give registered voters an opportunity to correct errors before the next general elections.

In Plateau State, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Professor Sam Egwu, announced that the commission would conduct the exercise simultaneously across all 207 Registration Areas in the state.

Egwu disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists in Jos on Thursday.

He said the exercise would include the display of the preliminary register, the handling of claims and objections, and the collection of PVCs by eligible voters.

He said, “The Independent National Electoral Commission, Plateau State, wishes to inform the good people of Plateau State that the commission will commence display of the Preliminary Register of Voters, attend to the hearing of claims and objections as well as collection of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) simultaneously in all the 207 Registration Areas in the state, from the 9th to 15th of October 2026 (7 days and weekends inclusive). Time is 9 am -3 pm daily.”

The commission called on registered voters to visit the designated centres during the exercise and confirm that their registration information was accurate.

Voters are expected to check their names, photographs, dates of birth, polling units and other details supplied during registration.

Those who discover errors or have legitimate objections can use the opportunity to bring them to the attention of the commission within the stipulated period.

The Plateau REC stressed the importance of an accurate voter register to the conduct of credible elections.

“All registered voters are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to carefully check information they provided, such as their names, photographs, date of birth, polling units and other relevant registration details to make necessary claims and objections within this stipulated period as an accurate voter register is important for free and credible elections,” the REC said.

Egwu also confirmed that PVCs issued through the first phase of the CVR exercise, which ran from August 18 to December 10, 2025, would be available for collection during the verification period.

The arrangement is expected to give voters who registered during that phase an opportunity to obtain their cards before the 2027 elections.

In Sokoto State, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Umar Garba, also announced the commencement of the exercise while briefing journalists on INEC’s preparations for the 2027 general elections.

Garba spoke at the Nigeria Union of Journalists Press Centre in Sokoto, where he outlined the commission’s plans for the display of the preliminary register and distribution of PVCs.

“The Independent National Electoral Commission will commence the display of the preliminary register of voters for claims and objections, as well as the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards from the 9th to the 15th of October 2026,” Garba said.

He explained that the exercise would cover PVCs arising from the first phase of the Continuous Voter Registration programme. However, cards relating to lost or damaged PVCs, voter transfers, updates and registrations completed during the second and third phases of the CVR exercise were not yet ready for collection.

According to him, INEC would announce a collection date for the outstanding cards once they became available.

Garba added that the commission would continue distributing PVCs at its offices in the state’s 23 local government areas after the display exercise at Registration Area centres ended on October 15.

“This will enable eligible voters who could not collect their cards at the Registration Area level to do so,” he said.

The extension of collection to local government offices is intended to provide another opportunity for eligible voters who are unable to obtain their cards at the designated centres during the seven-day exercise.

Garba also spoke about security arrangements surrounding voter registration and preparations for the forthcoming elections.

He said the commission had taken the advice of security agencies into consideration throughout the recent registration process, adding that their involvement contributed to a safe exercise.

“Throughout the registration of voters held recently, the commission took the advice of security agencies very seriously. This contributed to a safe process without any casualties,” he said.

The REC assured voters that INEC would continue working to ensure that eligible residents across Sokoto State received their PVCs.

He also addressed the participation of internally displaced persons (IDPs), saying the commission was engaging security agencies to establish the number of displaced persons in the state and determine how they could participate in the 2027 general elections.

“The commission is always talking with security agencies to ascertain the number of IDPs in the state. We are working to ensure that they vote once they are in official and recognised camps,” he said.

Garba further disclosed that INEC would announce the total number of registered voters in Sokoto State at the appropriate time.