‘We will conduct free, fair, credible, inclusive election in Osun’ — INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reportedly said the August poll will be conducted in compliance with the provisions of the Constitution and the Electoral Act, assuring stakeholders that the outcome of the August 15 Osun Governorship Election will reflect the will of the people.

The Osun Resident Electoral Commissioner, Oluwatoyin Babalola, gave the assurance while responding to concerns raised at a multi-stakeholder roundtable on legal compliance and electoral integrity organised by a non-governmental organisation, the New Generation Girls and Women Development Initiative, in Osogbo, Osun State, on Thursday.

Babalola explained that compliance with the law remains the strongest safeguard against electoral malpractice, assuring stakeholders of the Commission’s commitment to conducting a credible, free and inclusive election in accordance with legal provisions.

“Electoral integrity is measured not only by the credibility, like I said, of election procedure, but also by the conduct of stakeholders before, during, and after the election. Compliance with the law remains the strongest statement against electoral discrepancy,” he said.

According to him, Nigeria has recorded elections where no petitions were filed after the conduct of the polls.

“So today, from INEC, I want to assure everyone here that we remain committed to conducting an election that is free, fair, credible, transparent and inclusive.

“We will conduct an election that will reflect the will of the people of Osun, and INEC will continue to discharge its constitutional responsibility with professionalism, neutrality, and unwavering integrity,” Babalola said.

Earlier, the Executive Director of the New Generation Girls and Women Development Initiative, who is also the South-West Coordinator of the Youth Electoral Reform Project, Abimbola Aladejare-Salako, said the last Ekiti Governorship Election exposed critical gaps in the implementation of the 2026 Electoral Act.

She added that the stakeholders’ meeting was convened to review lessons from the Ekiti election and identify measures to strengthen credibility, transparency and inclusiveness in the forthcoming Osun governorship poll.

“Credible elections and active citizen participation remain the bedrock of every democratic society. While the Ekiti election recorded notable improvements in several respects, it also highlighted operational, legal and administrative challenges that deserve careful reflection as Nigeria prepares for the Osun Off-cycle Governorship Election,” she said.