A coalition of civil society organisations under the Osun Election Civil Society Observers’ Coordination Group has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, political parties and other stakeholders to ensure that Saturday’s governorship election in Osun State is credible, peaceful, transparent and reflective of the will of the people.
The group made the call on Thursday in Osogbo during a press conference ahead of the August 15 governorship election, with the National Secretary of Campaign for Democracy, Olufemi Lawson, reading the statement on behalf of the coalition.
The observers said they had reviewed preparations for the election and identified key areas requiring urgent attention, particularly logistics, the functionality of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), movement of election materials, security and political violence.
While acknowledging INEC’s efforts in voter-related processes, stakeholder engagements, logistics and deployment preparations, the group said the commission must ensure that no avoidable logistical or technological challenge undermines the credibility of the election.
It urged INEC to ensure the timely delivery of sensitive and non-sensitive election materials to all polling units and put in place effective contingency plans for difficult terrains and hard-to-reach areas across the state.
The group also expressed concern over hitches recorded during the recent BVAS mock exercise, describing them as a warning that should not be ignored.
“BVAS devices cannot afford to fail or malfunction on election day,” the group said, calling for adequate technical personnel, functioning devices, sufficient backup arrangements and rapid-response mechanisms.
On the movement of electoral materials, the observers raised concerns over reports regarding the identity and involvement of some individuals associated with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the electoral logistics chain.
It urged all transport personnel involved in the movement of election materials to remain professional and neutral, warning against any attempt to delay, divert, interfere with or compromise the movement of materials.
The group also called on political parties, the media and accredited observers to monitor the movement of electoral materials and promptly report suspicious or irregular developments through appropriate channels.
On security, the civil society coalition expressed concern over what it described as a worsening security situation ahead of the election, including reports of killings, attacks and other acts of political violence in parts of the state.
It condemned the incidents and urged security agencies to thoroughly investigate them and ensure that perpetrators and sponsors are brought to justice.
The group also expressed concern over a reported “kill them” statement allegedly attributed to a prominent political figure, warning that such utterances could inflame political tensions and encourage violence.
It called on security agencies to deal with all cases of political violence professionally and without fear or favour, irrespective of the political affiliation or status of those involved.
“The Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies must rise above partisan considerations and provide a level playing field for all political parties and candidates,” the group said.
According to the observers, security personnel should be deployed primarily to protect voters, election officials, observers, journalists and electoral materials, rather than intimidate voters or suppress legitimate political participation.
The coalition further appealed to political parties, candidates and their supporters to respect the rules of the election and allow citizens to freely choose their preferred candidate.
It said the election should be a contest of ideas, records, programmes and popular support rather than intimidation, violence or manipulation.
The observers also urged residents of Osun State to come out and exercise their franchise peacefully while rejecting vote buying and selling.
“Your vote is your power and your future. No temporary financial inducement should be allowed to determine the future of the state and the next four years,” the group said.
It charged ad-hoc election personnel, journalists, accredited observers, traditional and religious leaders, community leaders and other stakeholders to conduct themselves professionally and impartially.
The group urged the media to avoid disseminating unverified information capable of heightening tension, while observers were asked to remain independent, objective and evidence-based in documenting the election.
It described the August 15 election as more than a contest for the governorship, saying it would also test the strength of democratic institutions and determine the future direction of the state.
The group therefore called on all stakeholders to place the peace and democratic interests of Osun above individual and partisan interests.
“The Osun Election Civil Society Observers’ Coordination Group will continue to observe the process independently and document developments across the state.
“Osun belongs to all of us. Let us protect the ballot, protect the voter and protect democracy,” it said.