Stakeholders Advocate Peaceful, Credible Osun Governorship Election at Citizens’ Town Hall

As the Osun State off-cycle governorship election scheduled for August 15, 2026, draws closer, a broad coalition of civil society organisations under the Civil Society Network on Electoral Integrity convened a high-level Citizens’ Town Meeting in Osogbo, the state capital, on Sunday, July 26, 2026. The meeting aimed to promote an inclusive, credible, free and fair poll, examine the conduct of the election, and hear residents’ views.

The Civil Society Network, made up of civic groups, election observers and democracy advocates—including the Kukah Centre, Electher, Yiaga Africa, Nigerian Women Trust Fund, International Press Centre, Centre for Media and Society and TAF Africa—brought together media partners, traditional and religious leaders, and citizen representatives to address key electoral concerns such as voter apathy, electoral violence and vote-buying. The meeting also encouraged stronger citizen participation in the democratic process and allowed residents to raise concerns, ask questions and engage directly with key stakeholders as Osun prepares for the polls.

Sponsored by the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) Phase II, the meeting was held as political parties intensified preparations for the August 15, 2026, poll. It also came amid concerns over insecurity and INEC’s readiness, with the off-cycle election drawing national attention because of Osun’s strategic role in South-West politics and its potential to signal what may happen in the 2027 general election.

At the opening session, His Royal Majesty, Oba Afeeez Olatunbosun Bamiji, traditional ruler of Ikire Ile kingdom, commended the coalition’s initiative to engage citizens ahead of the election, saying it would help boost public participation in the state.

The monarch also urged citizens and other stakeholders to avoid any violence that could undermine the election’s integrity, stressing that the poll can only succeed if it is conducted peacefully and credibly.

“There should be political maturity and democratic excellence. I therefore appeal to our political gladiators and political actors across the 30 local governments to embrace peace and promote and develop our state during the election. I also appeal to parents to talk to their children not to allow themselves to be used for thuggery during the election,” he said.

Speaking on INEC’s preparedness, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, assured citizens that the commission was ready for the forthcoming election and had put logistics in place to ensure a free, fair and credible poll. She said INEC had nearly completed all pre-election procedures, with only the distribution of non-sensitive materials and final election-day arrangements left.

The REC also said the state commission had begun distributing Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) across local government areas. According to Babalola, 192,702 PVCs have been collected so far, representing 37.5 per cent of the cards available for distribution. She described the turnout as encouraging but noted that many registered voters had yet to collect their cards.

She urged all eligible voters who have not collected their PVCs to use the ongoing collection exercise before the deadline. She noted that the Permanent Voter Card remains the only valid document for registered voters to take part in the election, adding that anyone without a PVC will not be allowed to vote.

She said the commission had engaged relevant stakeholders in the state, including CSOs, traditional and religious leaders, and women’s groups, to help ensure a free and fair election.

On PVC collection and proxy collection, the REC clarified that voters cannot collect PVCs on behalf of others. She also said the commission had tested the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and dismissed claims that the technology could be preloaded, contrary to what some people had been led to believe.

“Since no two people have the same facial biometric, collecting the VIN is useless. INEC has made the collection of PVC to be at the registration level

“Votes are not stored on the BVAS; they are counted separately, so votes cannot be preloaded on the device. The BVAS has been tested and charged for use, and while technical issues may arise, technicians have been engaged to address them,” she said.

Condemning vote-buying, which she described as a recurring problem in Nigerian elections, Mrs Babalola said INEC neither buys nor sells votes and has consistently opposed the practice. She said the commission had intensified jingles and voter education campaigns, adding that it was collaborating with the ICPC and EFCC to curb vote-buying. “When there are no goods to sell, buyers become useless,” she said.

Speaking on insecurity challenges and reports of violence ahead of the election, the Commissioner of Police, Osun State, Ibrahim Gotan, who was represented by DSP Dapo Ojelabi, the Police Public Relations Officer, assured the Osun residents that the election would be free, fair and peaceful despite the current challenges the state is going through.

The police spokesperson said that because the Osun election is off-cycle, the police can draw on resources from across the country to prevent violence during the poll. He added that some flashpoints had been classified as high-, medium- or low-risk areas and that the police were working to address them before election day.

He also responded to allegations that the Commissioner of Police was inaccessible to the public, a concern that had prompted some civil society organisations to call for his resignation. Ojelabi insisted that the commissioner operates an open-door administration.

He urged citizens to cooperate with law enforcement agencies to ensure a smooth electoral process and reject any attempt by politicians to use them for violence.

“Because the Osun election is off-cycle, we have enough time and resources to mobilise personnel. We are ready, and the IGP has deployed additional officers. He has also directed DPOs and Area Commanders to liaise with traditional leaders. We have assessed areas as high, medium and low risk and have reduced the risk levels in those places. We have also changed our approach to address the state’s security challenges. Investigations are ongoing. During the election, security personnel will support INEC officials without taking the lead. On allegations that the CP is inaccessible, if he is unavailable, it means he has other engagements, but he operates an open-door administration,” he said.

“On behalf of the CP, we should talk to one another not to allow politicians to use us to disrupt the peace and orderliness in the state, as the force is ready to fight electoral violence head-on.”

Speaking on behalf of the civil society organisations, Ms Suliat Ganiyu questioned the electoral commission’s preparedness and highlighted gaps that could undermine the integrity of the election. She said the rising violence in the state requires urgent attention because it could fuel voter apathy and discourage participation, especially among women who may be more vulnerable to attacks.

She said that while CSOs have continued to educate voters on how to respond to hostile election environments, INEC and security agencies must also perform their respective duties to ensure the poll’s credibility.

Speaking on behalf of persons with disabilities (PWDs), Mr Sam Smith urged INEC to ensure that assistive materials are readily available so PWDs can exercise their constitutional rights. He also called on security agencies to address violence ahead of election day to prevent PWDs from becoming victims of growing hostility among politicians and their supporters.

Representatives of the Muslim and Christian communities called for a peaceful election, saying elections should promote good governance. They noted that both religions uphold peace, law and order and urged citizens to embrace these values without sentiment or religious bias that could undermine the election’s outcome.

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