Osun 2026: Election Observers Present Pre-election Assessment In Osun

Ahead of the August 15 governorship election in Osun State, election observers under the aegis of the Election Observers Hub have called on all stakeholders to act decisively to strengthen the integrity of the electoral process.

The Observers, made up of Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO), ElectHER, International Press Centre,(IPC), Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF), TAF Africa, The Kukah Centre (TKC) and Yiaga Africa while presenting their pre-election assessment report at a press briefing in Osogbo on Monday, identified the Osun election as another milestone in Nigeria’s democracy journey.

Reading their text,Dr Akin Akingbulu submitted that the combination of heightened political competition, institutional tension, security concerns, information disorder and the continued exclusion of marginalised groups required sustained vigilance and collective action from all stakeholders.

The group urged INEC to ensure timely and efficient logistical deployment of election personnel and materials; guarantee the transparent operation of BVAS and the IReV portal,; and ensure timely, transparent, and efficient collation of results to enhance public trust, reduce speculation ,and de-escalate the tension that had historically accompanied results management in Osun.

They called on security agencies to maintain strict operational neutrality throughout the electoral process and deploy intelligence-led security operations in identified high-risk locations.

While political parties and candidates were enjoined to comply with the Electoral Act and all relevant electoral guidelines, they were urged to reject vote buying, political violence, hate speech and deployment of political thugs.

The media and civil society organisations were charged with promoting conflict-sensitive, professional election reporting and strengthening fact-checking mechanisms to counter misinformation and disinformation.