Osun 2026: IAWPA, Observer Assures Voters of Credible Poll

By Pan Afric Reporters

The International Association of World Peace Advocates (IAWPA), an INEC-accredited international election observation organisation, has expressed confidence in the preparedness of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for Saturday’s Osun State governorship election, assuring residents that its observers will closely monitor the exercise to promote transparency, peace and credible results.

The leader of the IAWPA organisation’s observation mission, Ambassador Emmanuel Nkweke, gave the assurance during a press briefing in Osun State ahead of the election, disclosing that the organisation had deployed observers and field personnel across the state to monitor the electoral process.

Nkweke said about 30 to 36 international observers would lead teams covering the 30 local government areas of the state, while domestic election observers and field workers would complement the international team by providing information from polling units.

He said the organisation’s presence was aimed at strengthening public confidence in the electoral process and ensuring that the election complied with democratic standards.

“We are one of the international accredited election observers for the Osun State governorship election that is taking place tomorrow,” Nkweke said.

“We are about 30 to 36 of us, and each person will lead a team to cover across the 30 local governments in Osun State.”

According to him, IAWPA had also commenced its pre-election observation and would focus particularly on the functionality of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), the management and announcement of results, and security during the election.

“As a matter of fact, we’ve already started reporting our pre-election observation. We are concentrating majorly on three things: the functionality of the BVAS, the issue of results, and area of securities,” he said.

Nkweke, who said he had observed elections in more than 24 African countries, urged politicians and voters to abide by the rules governing the election, warning against intimidation, violence and other acts capable of undermining the democratic process.

“Every politician should work according to the rules of the game. Every electorate should work according to the rules of the game. Nobody should have that overbearing tendencies or causing chaos or violence during election time. That’s against the law,” he stated.

He also appealed to eligible voters in Osun State to come out and exercise their franchise, assuring them that the international observers would document developments during the poll without bias or sentiment.

“We are standing on this ground to inform the good people of Osun to come out en masse and cast their votes, ensuring their vote is not misplaced,” he said.

‘Mr Vote Count Is in Town’

The IAWPA spokesperson further declared that his team would closely monitor the counting and collation of votes, urging the media and other stakeholders to pay attention to the organisation’s observations.

“Tell them that Mr. Vote Count is in town. Everybody should come, their vote will surely count,” Nkweke declared.

He promised that the organisation would publish its observations based on facts gathered from the field.

“I’ll publish it without any sentiment, without being biased. The international community to which I represent will hear my voice tomorrow,” he said.

Nkweke also assured residents that the organisation had mechanisms for responding to reports of violence or electoral incidents across the state, urging journalists and members of the public to report any such incidents to the observation team.

“Anywhere there is violence in Osun State, any polling unit, any quarter of Osun State, call my line and say, ‘Mr. Vote Count is in town.’ I will send people within five, 10 minutes; they will arrive there,” he said.

Observer Rejects Rumour-Based Monitoring

Responding to allegations by some political parties of intimidation and claims that some actors were allegedly preparing to influence the outcome of the election, Nkweke said international observers could not base their reports on rumours, speculation or emotions.

“You see, I’m happy you used the word ‘allegations’. As a trained international election observer, we don’t observe a rumour. We don’t observe on speculations or emotions,” he said.

He added that, as of the time of the briefing, his team had not observed any major incident of violence within the areas it had covered, stressing that any report of electoral violence would have to be independently verified.

Nkweke also declined to disclose the exact number of personnel deployed for the election, describing the figure as confidential, but assured that the organisation had made adequate arrangements to achieve effective coverage.

“That figure is secretive. But I bet we’re going to give effective coverage, effective coverage internationally,” he said.

The IAWPA leader said he was prepared to visit areas affected by electoral violence rather than remain confined to safe locations, describing such places as important areas for election observation.

“I’m not afraid. I love going to where there is violence. I’m the only election observer that goes to where there is violence, where people are running from. I go there. That is where the news is,” Nkweke declared.

He expressed optimism that the Osun governorship election would be peaceful and credible, urging all stakeholders to respect the law and allow voters to freely exercise their constitutional right.