Osun Election: Civil Society Group Commends INEC, Security Agencies for Peaceful Poll

A civil society organisation and INEC-accredited observer group, Voters Awareness Initiative (VAI), has commended the conduct of the August 15 Osun State governorship election, describing the exercise as peaceful, free, fair and credible.

The group said the outcome of the election reaffirmed Nigerians’ confidence in democracy and demonstrated that the people still believe their votes can determine electoral outcomes.

VAI made this known in a statement issued in Lagos on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, by its Head of Media and Publicity, Nelson Ekujumi.

According to the organisation, the large turnout recorded across the state was a strong indication of voters’ confidence in the democratic process.

“The successful and credible conduct of the Osun State gubernatorial election epitomized by the huge turnout of voters, is a testament of the peoples confidence in Nigeria’s democracy,” the statement said.

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The group also commended President Bola Tinubu for what it described as his statesmanship and appeals to political stakeholders to abide by the rules during the election.

“President Bola Tinubu has once again demonstrated his faithfulness and irrevocable commitment to democratic tenets which stands unquestionable,” VAI said.

The organisation reserved particular commendation for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), saying the electoral body conducted a free, fair and credible election whose outcome reflected the will of the electorate.

VAI said its observers found that INEC personnel and electoral materials arrived at about 97 per cent of polling stations across the state between 7am and 7:30am, allowing accreditation and voting to commence simultaneously.

It also claimed that its monitoring showed that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines recorded more than 95 per cent functionality across polling stations.

“We observed the functionality of the BVAS machines to accredit voters at polling stations which from our analysis recorded over 95% success rate,” the group said.

The organisation also praised electoral officials for their understanding of their responsibilities, while noting that isolated cases of BVAS malfunction were promptly addressed through the replacement of faulty machines.

VAI further commended voters across the state for turning out to exercise their franchise, saying the election was conducted without widespread fear, harassment or intimidation.

“We must also commend the voters in Osun State for trooping out enmasse on election day to cast their votes for the candidates of their choice in an atmosphere devoid of fear, harassment and intimidation,” it said.

The group said the turnout demonstrated that voters remained confident in the electoral process and believed their votes would count.

Security agencies also received commendation for what VAI described as professionalism, impartiality and patriotism during the election.

The organisation said the deployment of unarmed security personnel to polling units, motorised patrols and strategic roadblocks helped to prevent illegal movements and deter potential troublemakers.

VAI also praised political party agents for their orderly conduct at polling units, saying their behaviour contributed to the peaceful atmosphere recorded during the exercise.

The group extended its commendation to the media as well as local and international observers for what it described as the professional, unbiased and diligent discharge of their responsibilities.

According to VAI, the peaceful conduct of the election had strengthened Nigeria’s democratic credentials despite criticisms directed at the electoral process.

“The peaceful, free, fair, transparent and credible conduct of the 2026 Osun State gubernatorial election has once again signposted the depth of Nigeria’s democracy and reaffirmed the peoples confidence in sustaining it,” the statement said.