Osun Guber: Protest Over Alleged Transfer Of Partisan INEC Officials

Some residents of Osogbo, the Osun State capital, on Wednesday staged a protest at the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), raising concerns over the alleged transfer of partisan electoral officials into the state ahead of the August 15, 2026 governorship election.

The protest, organised by the Coalition of Concerned Nigerian Citizens (CCNC) alongside other civil society groups, saw demonstrators carrying placards with inscriptions warning the electoral body against actions capable of undermining the credibility of the poll.

Messages displayed during the protest included calls for transparency and caution, with protesters insisting that residents were closely monitoring INEC’s activities in the state.

The group alleged that certain officials believed to have partisan affiliations were recently redeployed from neighbouring states into Osun, a move they described as suspicious given the proximity to the election date.

According to the protesters, similar governorship elections conducted in other states did not witness what they termed “indiscriminate transfers” of electoral personnel close to polling periods, especially on the basis of partisan petitions.

In a petition addressed to the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Osun, the coalition emphasised the need for a process that is free, fair, and transparent, stressing that the integrity of the election must not be compromised.

They warned against any attempt to give undue advantage to any candidate or political party through administrative decisions, deployment of personnel, or handling of electoral materials.

“The credibility of elections is not merely a technical affair of logistics; it is the moral foundation upon which the legitimacy of government rests,” the petition read in part.

The group further urged INEC to resist political pressure, ensure transparency in the use of technologies such as the BVAS for accreditation and result transmission, and take decisive action against electoral infractions including vote-buying, result falsification, and disruption of polling processes.

They also rejected what they described as “technical rigging” and cautioned against the transfer of officials from states such as Ondo and Lagos for what they alleged could be ulterior motives.

Reaffirming their stance, the coalition said it was not opposed to INEC but remained a critical stakeholder in Nigeria’s democratic process, pledging to act as civic observers and early warning monitors to safeguard the integrity of the election.

The Osun governorship election is scheduled for August 15, 2026, with incumbent governor Ademola Adeleke seeking re-election.