Osun poll: Observer group identifies 17 violent incidents, 44 victims
August 20, 2026 10:32 pm
By Deborah Musa
An election observer organisation, Kimpact Development Initiative, has said 17 election-related violence incidents were recorded across 10 Local Government Areas of Osun State during the August 15, 2026 governorship election, with more than 44 victims recorded.
KDI stated that the incidents, which included gunshots, physical assaults, intimidation and harassment, were documented through its Election Day Data Room, established to coordinate and analyse reports from accredited observers deployed across the state.
In its post-election analysis conference in Abuja on Thursday, KDI Executive Director, Bukola Idowu, said the violence disrupted voting at Iroyin Ayo Open Space, Ward Elejigbo D/Ejemu, Ejigbo Local Government Area, leading to the cancellation of the election there.
According to the organisation, gunshots, physical assaults and intimidation each accounted for five of the verified incidents, representing 29.4 per cent each, while harassment accounted for two incidents, representing 11.8 per cent.
The incidents were recorded in Ejigbo, Osogbo, Ife East, Ilesa East, Irewole, Odo-Otin, Boripe, Ifelodun, Ila and Ola-Oluwavotes the organisation said.
Ejigbo and Osogbo recorded the highest number of incidents, accounting for 17.6 per cent each, while Ife East, Ilesa East and Irewole accounted for 11.8 per cent each, it added.
KDI said the election-day violence was relatively localised and did not translate into widespread disruption across the state.
“The election-day figures therefore suggest that pre-election tensions did not translate into widespread election-day violence across the state,” the organisation said.
However, KDI warned that the security situation remained a concern, noting that between October 2025 and August 2026, it recorded 81 election-related violence incidents resulting in 15 fatalities across the state.
The organisation also reported cases of post-election violence and property destruction in Ilesa, Iperindo, Atakumosa East, Modakeke and Ikire.
“These reports underscore that election-related security risks do not necessarily end when polling closes, and that the immediate post-election period requires continued monitoring,” KDI said.
It called on security and law enforcement authorities to promptly investigate the reported incidents, identify perpetrators and prosecute those found culpable.
KDI also urged the Nigeria Police Force to ensure the prompt prosecution of the 295 persons arrested for various election-related offences during the poll.
The organisation called for appropriate information on the progression of the cases, subject to legal and investigative requirements, saying transparency would enable civil society groups and other stakeholders to monitor the prosecution of electoral offences.
“Timely and visible prosecution of electoral offences is essential to strengthening accountability and addressing the persistence of electoral impunity,” it said.
Despite the incidents, KDI commended security agencies for their deployment and professionalism during the election.
It said security personnel were deployed in all polling units observed by its monitors, with the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps being the most prominent agencies.
KDI said its observers generally reported that security personnel discharged their responsibilities professionally and helped maintain order at polling locations.
It, however, said seven per cent of processed reports received through its Election Day Data Room indicated alleged interference in the electoral process by security personnel.
The alleged incidents were recorded in Odo-Otin, Ifedayo, Ede South, Ifelodun, Atakumosa West, Oriade, Ife North, Obokun and Ilesa West.
The organisation said it also received reports linking some security personnel to vote trading, although it stressed that the reports represented a minority of observations and should not be generalised to the overall conduct of security agencies in the state.
The Organisation also raised concerns over the performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, saying it successfully processed accreditation in 84.9 per cent of observed cases, while 15.1 per cent experienced failure.
It added that the figure represented a marginal improvement over the 82.6 per cent functionality recorded during the 2026 Ekiti governorship election but remained below the 96 per cent recorded during the 2025 Anambra governorship election.
It said observers reported widespread difficulties with fingerprint recognition, leading to extensive use of facial recognition for accreditation in many locations.
It urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to assess BVAS performance across different categories of voters, authentication methods and device conditions ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The organisation also raised concerns over discrepancies identified in polling-unit results uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing Portal.
It said its preliminary analysis identified arithmetic inconsistencies in 260 polling units, cases where accredited voters exceeded total votes cast in 82 polling units, and registered-voter mismatches in 11 polling units.
KDI said the findings required further technical review, particularly in light of the electronic result validation process introduced by INEC.
“The continued identification of inconsistencies and other reconciliation anomalies in KDI’s independent analysis, therefore, raises an important operational question: how effective is the e-EC8A?” it asked.
The organisation called for greater legal clarity on the status of the e-EC8A under the Electoral Act 2026 and the Constitution, arguing that the relationship between the electronic and physical EC8A records needed to be clearly established.
KDI further identified vote trading and voter inducement as continuing threats to electoral integrity, saying it received reports of inducement across all 30 LGAs.
According to the organisation, party supporters accounted for 46.8 per cent of reported actors involved in inducement, followed by party agents at 29.8 per cent. Voters accounted for 10.6 per cent, while community leaders accounted for 9.6 per cent.
The alleged inducements included food, drinks and cash payments ranging from N5,000 to N50,000.
KDI said some payments were allegedly facilitated away from polling units, including through vehicles and small businesses such as food vendors and provision shops.
It warned that monitoring restricted to polling-unit environments might not capture the full network through which voter inducement was facilitated.
Despite the challenges, KDI said the election demonstrated that Nigeria’s electoral institutions, stakeholders and citizens could conduct a competitive off-cycle election without widespread disruption.
It commended Osun voters for their resilience and commitment to protecting their votes and preserving the democratic process.
“Their resolve reinforces an important lesson: democracy is sustained not only by institutions, but also by citizens who are willing to defend their rights and insist that electoral rules are respected,” the organisation said.
The organisation said the experience should be used to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral system ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The organisation urged INEC, security agencies, political parties, civil society organisations, development partners and the media to address the vulnerabilities identified during the election.
For the election, KDI disclosed that it deployed 370 trained and accredited observers across all 30 LGAs, 332 wards and 1,660 polling units in the state.
At the close of voting, INEC declared Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party winner of the polls with 511,067 votes, defeating his closest challenger, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress, who scored 444,815 votes.
Deborah Musa is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with five years of experience in journalism, including three years covering the judiciary. She focuses on producing accurate, well-researched reports that provide clarity on legal and justice-related issues. Deborah’s work reflects hands-on newsroom experience and editorial diligence.
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