Osun Election: INEC Has Questions to Answer as SOAI Demands Accountability

By Iyojo Ameh

The Speak Out Africa Initiative (SOAI), a civil society organisation focused on democratic governance, electoral integrity, citizen participation and accountable institutions, has raised concerns over aspects of the recently concluded Osun State governorship election, insisting that the declaration of a winner must not be used as a substitute for electoral credibility.

While congratulating the people of Osun State for their peaceful participation in the election, the organisation said the credibility of an election should be assessed not only by its outcome but by the integrity of the process through which the outcome is produced.

In a statement signed by its Communications Officer, Wasila Usman, SOAI said democracy could not be measured solely by the announcement of a winner, stressing that citizens must be able to trust the electoral process.

According to the organisation, a credible election must guarantee a level playing field, transparency, accountability, fairness and confidence among all stakeholders.

“For SOAI, the process is the democracy. The outcome is only the consequence of that process,” the organisation stated.

SOAI said its assessment of the Osun election was based on six major indicators, including pre-election and election-day violence, vote buying, INEC transparency, election logistics, BVAS functionality and voter participation.

Violence and Intimidation

The organisation expressed concern over reported incidents of intimidation, threats and inflammatory statements allegedly made by political actors before and during the election.

It said threats against perceived opponents could create an atmosphere of fear and discourage citizens from freely participating in the democratic process.

“Democracy cannot thrive where citizens must calculate personal safety before exercising their constitutional right to vote,” SOAI said.

It called on security and prosecutorial authorities to investigate reported cases of electoral intimidation, threats and violence, warning that failure to punish offenders could encourage a culture of electoral impunity.

Vote Buying Raises Concern

SOAI also raised concerns over reported cases of vote buying and voter inducement during the election.

According to the organisation, the practice remains one of the most damaging forms of electoral manipulation because it turns democratic participation into a transaction.

It alleged that political actors were seen distributing money around polling environments despite the presence of security personnel, raising questions about the effectiveness of enforcement mechanisms.

SOAI called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate reported cases of vote buying and ensure that electoral offences are prosecuted.

“An election where votes can be purchased openly is not a free choice; it is a negotiated transaction,” the organisation said.

INEC Asked to Explain IReV Disruption

The organisation further demanded an explanation from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the reported disruption in the uploading of election results on the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).

SOAI said result uploads appeared to slow down or stop for more than two hours before later resuming, adding that INEC had yet to provide what it considered a satisfactory public explanation for the incident.

The organisation said the issue was particularly sensitive given Nigerians’ experience with technological challenges during the 2023 general elections, which it said affected public confidence in electronic results transmission.

SOAI urged INEC to publicly explain the cause and duration of the IReV disruption, disclose whether any results were affected and outline measures being taken to prevent a recurrence.

“Transparency is not an optional requirement for an election management body; it is the foundation of public confidence,” it said.

INEC Gets Commendation on Logistics

Despite its concerns, SOAI acknowledged improvements in election-day logistics, particularly when compared with previous off-cycle elections.

The organisation said reports from several locations indicated improved deployment of election materials and earlier commencement of voting in many polling units.

However, it urged INEC to ensure that all polling units open at the stipulated time, noting that delays could disproportionately affect elderly voters, persons with disabilities, pregnant women and citizens travelling long distances to vote.

BVAS Challenges

SOAI also expressed concern over reports of malfunctioning Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices in some polling units.

It said technology introduced to improve electoral transparency could become a source of voter disenfranchisement when it fails without adequate alternatives.

According to the organisation, reports from some polling locations indicated delayed accreditation, slow BVAS response and inadequate backup arrangements.

It also raised concerns over polling units with large numbers of registered voters allegedly having only one functional BVAS device, saying prolonged delays resulted in some voters leaving without completing the voting process.

SOAI urged INEC to review its BVAS deployment strategy and provide stronger contingency measures for future elections.

Increased Voter Participation

The organisation, however, described the reported improvement in voter participation as encouraging, saying it demonstrated that Nigerians remained interested in shaping political leadership through elections.

It warned that the renewed willingness of citizens to participate must be matched by stronger electoral integrity.

“Higher participation must be matched with higher electoral integrity,” SOAI said.

SOAI Demands Institutional Reflection

In its concluding assessment, SOAI said the Osun election presented both achievements and important lessons for Nigeria’s electoral system.

It commended improvements in voter participation and aspects of election logistics but warned that these should not overshadow concerns relating to violence, vote buying, technological reliability and institutional transparency.

The organisation called on INEC to explain the IReV disruption and strengthen accountability around electoral technology.

It also urged security agencies to investigate and prosecute cases of electoral violence, intimidation and vote buying, while calling on political parties and actors to respect democratic principles.

SOAI further urged civil society organisations and citizens to sustain demands for accountability beyond election day.

It warned that Nigeria could not build a credible democracy solely through acceptable electoral outcomes if the processes producing those outcomes remained questionable.

“The credibility of democracy is not measured by whether a winner is declared; it is measured by whether citizens believe the process was fair, transparent and trustworthy,” SOAI said.