CSOs demand credible Osun election
A coalition of civil society organisations has called on INEC to ensure a free, fair and transparent governorship election in Osun, urging security agencies to remain neutral.
A coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure a free, fair, credible and transparent governorship election in Osun. The coalition made the call at a pre-election news conference in Osogbo, on Friday, ahead of Saturday’s election in Osun. The event was themed “2026 Osun State Governorship Election: Demanding Credibility, Peace and Accountability,” with participants focusing on electoral integrity, peace, transparency, accountability and credible conduct ahead of the poll statewide.
Speaking, Mr Uzoma Uchenna, of New Dimension Network for Peace Initiative, who represented the coalition, said civil society organisations remained committed to protecting the electoral process and strengthening Nigeria’s democracy nationwide. Uchenna urged INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, and the commission to ensure all Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines were protected from tampering, tested and fully functional before deployment across state. She called for trained personnel to be present at polling units to address technical challenges.
The coalition also called on the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Olatunji Disu, to ensure that police personnel remained neutral, professional and non-partisan throughout the election and respect voters’ rights at all polling units. Uchenna cautioned security personnel against intimidating voters or interfering with their choices at polling units, urging officers to maintain neutrality, restraint and professionalism.
The CSOs’ demands are a reminder of the challenges facing Nigeria’s electoral process. The calls for neutral security agencies, functional BVAS machines and transparent result-uploading reflect the lessons of past elections. The eyes of Nigeria and the international community are on Osun.
This echoes the 2022 Osun election, which also saw CSOs demand a credible process. The mechanism then was different, but the result was the same: a focus on electoral integrity.
The winners: the voters of Osun, who deserve a credible election; and the CSOs, who are holding institutions accountable. The losers: those who might seek to manipulate the process; and the Nigerian government, which must ensure that the election is free and fair.
Bottom Line: CSOs are demanding a credible Osun election. The world is watching. The question is whether the institutions will deliver or fail the test.