Osun Decides 2026: Address identified gaps, ensure credible election — EU-SDGN EOH urge INEC, stakeholders

The European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria Election Observation Hub, EU-SDGN EOH, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, security agencies, political parties, the media and voters to take immediate steps to address identified gaps and ensure a peaceful, credible conclusion to the Osun State governorship election.

The Hub made the recommendations in its preliminary election day press conference following observations from 823 accredited observers deployed across the 30 local government areas of the state on Saturday.

Speaking on behalf of the Hub, Lanre Arogundade, the Executive Director of International Press Centre, IPC, urged INEC to deploy Rapid Technical Support, RATECH, teams and backup Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, devices immediately to polling units where accreditation devices failed.

He called for election materials and personnel to be sent to polling units yet to open or for affected elections to be rescheduled where voting had not commenced by noon.

“Deploy RATECH and backup BVAS immediately to where the device failed to capture the biometrics of voters,” he said.

The EU-SDGN EOH also called on INEC to paste Form EC at every polling unit after voting and immediately upload the ECSA to the INEC Result Viewing, iReV, portal.

It urged the commission to monitor priority voting and ensure the availability of assistive devices for elderly voters, pregnant women and persons with disabilities.

“Monitor priority voting and assistive devices for elderly, pregnant and PWD voters to ensure compliance and availability,” it stated.

The Hub said security agencies should remain professional and neutral, maintain a visible but restrained presence at polling units and collation centres, and monitor areas classified as critical risks, particularly during counting and collation.

“Maintain professionalism and remain neutral through non-partisan conduct. Security agencies should keep a visible but restrained presence at polling units and collation centres,” it said.

It also recommended sustained collaboration among security agencies under the Inter-Consultative Committee on Election Security, ICCES, while supporting EFCC and ICPC plain-clothes officers deployed to polling units to detect vote trading.

The Hub also urged security agencies to respond to reported cases of arson, kidnapping and hijacking of election materials or personnel, adding that they should keep ICCES collaboration, coordination and synergy live throughout the day to ensure rapid and proportionate responses.

For political parties and candidates, the Hub urged agents at polling units to focus on lawful observation rather than intimidation or vote trading.

It called on parties and candidates to abstain from vote buying, discourage their supporters from trading votes and pursue grievances through election tribunals and courts rather than protests or self-help.

“Party agents at PUs should focus on lawful observation, not intimidation and vote trading,” it said.

The Hub also advised the media not to announce results before INEC’s official declaration at the appropriate polling and collation levels.

“Journalists should avoid reporting unofficial or projected figures, intensify real-time fact-checking and promptly report attacks or denial of access through designated reporting channels.

“Refrain from announcing results until INEC’s official declaration,” the Hub advised the media.

Voters were similarly urged to vote independently, reject inducements and report vote buying to INEC officials, security personnel or accredited observers.

The Hub also advised voters to report disputes or threats at polling units rather than attempting to escalate such situations themselves.

“Vote independently; decline any inducement and report vote-buying,” it stated.

According to the statement, voting was taking place in 3,763 polling units, with 15 candidates contesting the election.

“Of the 2,339,233 registered voters, 1,906,390, representing 81.50 per cent, had collected their Permanent Voters Cards and were eligible to vote.

“Our observers found complete election personnel and sensitive and non-sensitive materials at 726 of the 823 observed polling units. We recorded 58 BVAS malfunctions among the observed units, with 41, representing 70.7 per cent, subsequently rectified.

“Voter turnout was impressive and voting was mostly peaceful and orderly, with effective crowd control measures deployed by election officials and security personnel,” it disclosed.

The EU-SDGN EOH reported 38 security incidents and 323 electoral offences and irregularities across the observed polling units, including 103 cases of vote trading, 12 multiple voting incidents, 28 cases involving inducement of polling and security officials, 38 cases of campaigning at polling units, 14 cases of voter impersonation, 31 cases of obstruction and 85 cases involving exposure of ballot papers.

It said women and persons with disabilities recorded noticeable participation, while observers would continue monitoring counting, collation and transmission of results.

The Hub urged parties and candidates to await the official outcome of the election and pursue any grievances exclusively through lawful and judicial channels.