Osun 2026: EU-SDGN Raises Alarm Over Vote Buying, Violence, Urges INEC to Ensure Transparent Poll
By Pan Afric Reporters
The European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria Election Observation Hub (EU-SDGN EOH) has raised concerns over vote buying, political violence, misinformation and operational challenges ahead of Saturday’s Osun State governorship election, warning that the credibility of the poll will depend on a transparent, peaceful and verifiable electoral process. In its pre-election statement issued on Friday, August 14, 2026, the Hub said it had deployed 843 observers across the state to monitor the election.
According to the EU-SDGN EOH, the election will be contested by 15 candidates across 3,763 polling units, 332 Registration Areas and 30 Local Government Areas, with 2,339,233 registered voters, of whom 1,906,390, representing 81.50 per cent, have collected their Permanent Voter Cards. The Hub described the election as nationally significant because it comes five months before the 2027 general election and provides another major test of Nigeria’s new electoral legal framework.
The observation group said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared itself operationally and logistically ready, including the configuration and charging of BVAS devices, deployment of election materials and recruitment of about 17,500 ad-hoc personnel. However, it expressed concern over the electronic transmission and validation of results, particularly the lack of clarity surrounding the electronic EC8A and the backend validation process before results appear on the IReV portal. The Hub urged INEC to publish a clear end-to-end results transmission protocol and ensure that the election outcome can be traced transparently from polling units to final declaration.
On security, the EU-SDGN EOH classified Osun as a high overall election-risk environment, identifying Osogbo and Irewole as critical-risk LGAs and 11 others as high-risk. It linked the risks to organised political violence, disputes over control of Local Government secretariats, criminal exploitation of the political environment and the spread of fake news and disinformation. The Hub noted that up to 30,000 security and law-enforcement personnel were proposed for deployment, while urging security agencies to remain professional, impartial and diligent. “The Hub calls on all security and law enforcement agencies to adhere to the code of conduct and rules of engagement for security personnel on electoral duty,” it said.
The Hub identified vote buying and voter inducement as the “highest threat” to the credibility of the election, citing reports of financial and material inducements in the run-up to the poll. It also warned about fake news, misinformation and inflammatory political communication on platforms including Facebook, WhatsApp, TikTok and X, urging the media and civil society to intensify fact-checking and conflict-sensitive reporting. Political parties and candidates were also urged to respect the July 30 Peace Accord, reject voter intimidation and political thuggery, and pursue grievances through lawful and judicial channels.
The EU-SDGN EOH further appealed to voters to participate freely and independently, reject inducements and report electoral malpractice, while calling on INEC, security agencies, political parties, the media and other stakeholders to protect the integrity of the process. It concluded that the people of Osun deserve “a free, fair, credible, and inclusive election that transparently and accurately reflects their sovereign will,” stressing that the Hub would continue its observation and issue a preliminary Election Day statement and post-election report after the declaration of results.
