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The European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria Election Observation Hub (EU-SDGN EOH) has urged political parties and candidates to await the official outcome of the Osun State governorship election and channel any grievances strictly through lawful and judicial means, in alignment with the Peace Accord signed on July 30, 2026.
The hub also called on the residents of Osun State to remain calm and patient as the electoral process approaches its conclusion.
In a preliminary statement jointly signed by the Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO), International Press Centre (IPC), Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF), TAF Africa, The Kukah Centre (TKC), and Yiaga Africa, the coalition disclosed that it deployed 823 accredited observers across the 30 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.
“The EU-SDGN EOH notes that out of the 823 polling units where our observers were deployed, polling officials with a complete complement of both sensitive and non-sensitive materials were present in 726 polling units,” the statement read.
Detailing arrival timelines, the hub stated that full election materials and officials—including ballot papers, result sheets, BVAS devices, voting cubicles, voter registers, official stamps, and ink pads—were present in 608 units (83.7%) between 7:30 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. Officials arrived at 75 observed units (10.3%) between 8:00 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., and in 42 units (5.7%) between 8:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. Only one observed polling unit remained unopened by 11:00 a.m. due to the non-arrival of personnel and materials.
On the performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), observers reported that 58 out of 726 devices (7.9%) malfunctioned. However, 41 of those devices (70.7%) were successfully repaired, allowing accreditation to resume smoothly in the affected areas.
The observation hub noted that voter turnout was impressive, with proceedings largely peaceful and orderly, aided by effective crowd-control measures implemented by election officials and security personnel.
Regarding security, the coalition observed that while most personnel behaved professionally, there were isolated reports of voter intimidation by security agents at specific polling units, including PU 29-10-10-005 at Igbon DC School in Ejigbo, as well as PU 29-26-01-002 and PU 29-30-06-015 at Oke Ola Street, Okanla Area, in Osogbo.
The election was largely praised for its inclusiveness, with notable participation by women and persons with disabilities (PWDs).
“For example, the turnout of women is at about 59% in the observed polling units, and more than 70% of PWDs turned up to vote in the 12 designated PWD polling units observed. Furthermore, women constituted 36% of polling officials and played significant roles as polling agents,” the hub stated.
Despite the largely orderly conduct, observers recorded 38 security incidents by midday, encompassing 25 reports of thuggery, 12 attacks on electoral officials, and nine instances of voter intimidation by security personnel. Across the 726 observed polling units, 323 cases of electoral offences and irregularities were logged. These included vote trading (103), exposure of ballot papers (85), campaigning at polling units (38), obstruction of voters (31), inducement of polling and security officials (28), voter impersonation (14), multiple voting (12), and misconduct by election officials (7).
The EU-SDGN EOH affirmed that the general environment remained conducive for journalists and monitors, with no major threats or incidents reported against the press.
