Osun election: Yiaga Africa rates poll high, charges INEC, police on reforms ahead of general elections

Pro-democracy civil society organisation Yiaga Africa has declared that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies largely passed the test of electoral integrity during the Osun State governorship election.

Addressing journalists in Osogbo on Sunday, Dr Asmau Maikudi, Chairperson of the 2026 Osun Election Observation Mission for Yiaga Africa, noted that the group had earlier described the poll as a definitive test of electoral preparedness, security neutrality and public trust.

“With the election concluded, the evidence suggests that INEC and security agencies largely passed that test,” Dr Maikudi stated.

She emphasised that the Osun election was a crucial off-cycle ballot, serving as the final major governorship contest before the 2027 general elections and a critical test of the Electoral Act 2026 and new regulatory frameworks.

Yiaga Africa commended the people of Osun for their resilience and high voter turnout, encouraging them to sustain this democratic spirit by holding elected officials accountable to their campaign promises.

Despite the overall positive assessment, the election observation mission issued key recommendations for stakeholders ahead of the 2027 general elections:

For INEC, Yiaga advised the commission to issue binding, uniform guidance on the acceptance of downloadable PVCs, conduct a comprehensive post-election technical audit of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices to address deployment and functional hiccups, publish the causes of biometric authentication failures, and ensure more rigorous training and oversight of ad hoc field personnel.

For security agencies, Yiaga said security forces should coordinate early joint deployments from Registration Area Centres (RACs) to polling units alongside election materials.

The police were specifically urged to publish a detailed deployment report outlining arrests and prosecution plans, particularly concerning pre-election violence that resulted in fatalities.

Yiaga Africa said political parties must deepen their commitment to democratic values by investing in the thorough training of polling agents on the Electoral Act 2026 and INEC guidelines.

“The police, EFCC, and ICPC should extend enforcement beyond immediate polling unit perimeters to crack down on vote-buying and financial inducements carried out by party agents and financiers in surrounding areas,” Yiaga said.