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From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Hundreds of protesters yesterday stormed the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja to express their views on the outcome of the recently conducted Osun State governorship election.
The protesters commended INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, President Bola Tinubu and the security agencies for what they described as their neutrality during the election.
They said the conduct of the election had renewed their confidence in the electoral process and urged INEC to sustain and improve on the standard in the 2027 general elections.
The protesters, who disrupted vehicular movement around the commission’s headquarters for nearly an hour, said Amupitan had, by his handling of the Osun election, earned the confidence of Nigerians ahead of the 2027 polls.
They carried placards with various inscriptions expressing support for the INEC chairman and calling for credible, transparent and inclusive elections.
The protest was organised by a coalition comprising Opposition Political Parties United for Democracy, National Ethnic Groups, Area Consultative Youth Movement, Middle Belt Youth Forum, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Movement, South South Youth Leaders Consultative Forum, Oduduwa Youth Assembly, and African Centre for Justice and Human Rights.
Addressing the protesters and presenting their letter to INEC, leader of the coalition, Obed Agu, said the group was at the commission to commend the electoral body over what he described as its conduct during the Osun election.
“We are here to say thank you to an institution whose conduct in the Osun governorship election has renewed the confidence of many Nigerians in the electoral process,” Agu said.
He said the coalition comprised representatives of political parties, ethnic youth organisations, community leaders, religious leaders, women leaders, civil society groups and other democratic stakeholders who participated in a national post-election discourse convened by the African Centre for Justice and Human Rights.
According to him, the coalition concluded that Amupitan had earned its confidence based on his conduct since assuming office.
“We are aware that when he assumed office as Chairman of INEC, there were questions about his independence, assumptions about who appointed him and voices predicting what he would do. But democracy requires that we judge people by their conduct.
“And today, after observing the Osun election, we say, judge Amupitan by what he has done. He has demonstrated institutional independence, engaged political parties, followed electoral timelines, continued preparations for 2027 and strengthened stakeholder engagement,” he said.
Agu, however, said the confidence placed in the commission came with expectations, including equal treatment of voters and political parties, credible elections and the protection of the independence and transparency of the electoral process.
“We expect the same standard to continue, and even higher standards in 2027. We expect every Nigerian voter to be treated equally. We expect every political party to be treated fairly. We expect every vote to count. We expect the commission to remain independent and the electoral process to remain transparent,” he said.
The coalition also commended President Tinubu and the security agencies for what it described as their role in creating an environment that allowed the Osun election to take place without undue interference.
Agu said the conduct of the Federal Government during the election demonstrated that government could exercise its authority without using it to influence electoral outcomes.
“Our message to President Tinubu is equally straightforward: continue on this track. Our message to the security agencies is to maintain neutrality and professionalism. Our message to the political class is to let the people decide.”
He urged Nigerians not to lose faith in democracy, saying institutions should be commended when they perform well and held accountable when they fail.
“Today, therefore, we present our solidarity to INEC and express our confidence in Amupitan’s ability to lead the commission towards an even more credible, transparent and inclusive 2027 general election.
“The Osun election has given Nigeria a new democratic benchmark. Osun must not be an exception. It must be the standard,” Agu said.
Receiving the protest letter, National Commissioner, Haruna Kudu Mohammed, assured the protesters that the commission would continue to improve the conduct of elections.
He thanked the group for its feedback and said INEC remained committed to improving the electoral process.
