By Toyin Victor, ABUJA
The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room has raised concerns over alleged vote buying and technical challenges recorded during the August 15 Osun State governorship election, warning that the issues must be addressed ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Situation Room made the call on Monday in Abuja while presenting its final assessment of the election, following the deployment of more than 300 accredited observers across all 30 local government areas of the state, alongside citizen observers and partner organisations.
Co-Convener of the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, Comrade Mma Odi, commended Osun voters for their strong participation, noting that many citizens stayed behind after voting to monitor the counting and follow the movement of results through the collation process.
Odi said the active participation of voters was one of the major positives from the election, stressing that citizens played an important role in safeguarding the integrity of the process.
However, the Situation Room expressed concern over alleged vote buying and voter inducement at several polling locations. It reported claims of payments of up to ₦50,000 per vote, alongside other forms of inducement, including the distribution of food and drinks.
The group also flagged challenges with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, particularly difficulties with facial authentication involving elderly voters. Odi said the recurring problem, which has been reported in previous elections, requires urgent attention before 2027.
On logistics, the Situation Room said the late addition of the SDP candidate to the ballot, following a Federal High Court judgment of July 22, necessitated the reproduction of ballot papers and result sheets and contributed to delays in the arrival and distribution of sensitive materials.
The observers also raised concerns over pre-election violence and reported casualties, stressing that the largely peaceful conduct of election day should not overshadow incidents recorded before the poll. The group maintained that no Nigerian should lose their life because of an election.
The Situation Room is consequently calling for the establishment of an Electoral Offences Commission, stronger measures against vote buying and electoral violence, improved electoral technology and better logistics ahead of 2027.
It urged INEC, political parties, security agencies, the judiciary, the National Assembly, civil society and citizens to use the Osun experience to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral system, saying the country must move towards elections that are credible, transparent, accountable and trusted by the people.