Election observation group, YIAGA Africa, has commended the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and security agencies for what it described as professional conduct during Saturday’s Osun State governorship election.
The Chairman of the YIAGA Africa Osun Election Observation Mission, Dr Asmau Maikudi, on Sunday in Osogbo while presenting the group’s Process and Verification Statement on the election, said YIAGA Africa had, ahead of the election, identified the poll as a key test of electoral preparedness, security neutrality and public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process.
According to her, the conduct of INEC, security agencies and political parties on election day would determine whether the institutions were adequately prepared to administer a credible election.
“With the election concluded, the evidence suggests that INEC and security agencies largely passed that test,” she said.
She noted that the Osun election was particularly significant because it was the last major governorship election before the 2027 general elections and one of the earliest major tests of the Electoral Act 2026 and the new regulatory framework for election administration and results management.
Maikudi said YIAGA Africa used its Process and Results Verification for Transparency methodology to monitor the election.
She said the organization deployed 300 observers and 32 mobile observers across the 30 Local Government Areas of the state, alongside 30 LGA results collation observers.
According to her, the observation focused on election-day processes, logistics, accreditation, voting, the performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, results management and the conduct of security personnel.
Maikudi highlighted INEC’s logistics as one of the notable areas of improvement during the election. She said the commission faced a major challenge after a last-minute court order required the inclusion of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, forcing INEC to reprint ballot papers and result sheets only days before the poll.
Despite the disruption, she said INEC largely succeeded in deploying election personnel and materials to polling units on time.
According to YIAGA Africa’s observation, 48 per cent of polling units had commenced accreditation and voting by 8:30 a.m., while the figure rose to 96 per cent by 9:30 a.m.
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Maikudi said the performance compared favorably with the 2022 Osun governorship election, when YIAGA Africa recorded accreditation and voting in 41 per cent of polling units by 8:30 a.m. and 96 per cent by 9:30 a.m.
The group also monitored the functionality of the BVAS during the election. Maikudi said the device functioned properly in 80 per cent of the polling units observed, while malfunctions occurred in 20 per cent of the locations.
She, however, noted that the reported BVAS problems were eventually resolved, allowing the affected polling units to continue with the electoral process.
On the results, Maikudi said INEC’s official figures were consistent with YIAGA Africa’s Watching the Vote, estimates. “This indicates that the official results, as announced, reflect the ballots counted at polling units,” she said.
Despite the positive assessment of the electoral process, YIAGA Africa raised concerns over widespread reports of vote-buying and voter inducement.
Maikudi said the practice posed a serious threat to the integrity of voters’ choices and remained an issue that required stronger attention ahead of future elections.
She stressed that the credibility of elections depended not only on logistics and transparent results management but also on ensuring that voters could freely make their choices without financial inducement or intimidation.
YIAGA Africa also commended security agencies for what it described as largely professional and restrained conduct during the election.
Maikudi said the campaign period had been characterized by violence, inflammatory rhetoric and concerns over the neutrality of security agencies.
She said the generally professional conduct observed on election day deserved recognition. “The election demonstrated that robust security deployment need not translate into excessive interference in the electoral process,” she said.
Maikudi, however, urged security agencies to maintain the standard in future elections, stressing that neutrality must remain consistent regardless of the political party controlling the state or federal government.
He said the Osun election demonstrated that INEC could meet a high operational standard, implement the Electoral Act 2026 and manage results transparently when adequately resourced and closely observed. She also commended the people of Osun State for their resilience and participation in the electoral process.
The group encouraged voters to remain engaged beyond election day by monitoring elected officials and holding political parties and candidates accountable for their campaign promises.
NAN
