The European Union Support for Democratic Governance in Nigeria Election Observation Hub has described Saturday’s Osun State governorship election as generally peaceful, orderly and inclusive, with a strong voter turnout recorded across polling units.
The observation hub, made up of the Centre for Media and Society, International Press Centre, Nigerian Women Trust Fund, TAF Africa, Yiaga Africa and the Kukah Centre, deployed 823 accredited observers across the 30 Local Government Areas of the state.
Presenting the hub’s preliminary statement on Saturday, Executive Director of the International Press Centre, Lanre Arogundade, said the observers monitored the opening of polls, accreditation, voting, voter participation and the general electoral environment.
According to the statement, voting took place across 3,763 polling units, with 15 candidates from 15 political parties participating in the election.
The hub said Osun has 2,339,233 registered voters, while 1,906,390, representing 81.50 per cent, collected their Permanent Voter Cards and were eligible to vote.
Polling Unit Largely Prepared
The observers reported a high level of preparedness at polling units, noting that election officials with complete sensitive and non-sensitive materials were present in 726 of the 823 polling units monitored.
They also assessed the availability of election personnel and materials, as well as the functionality and performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System during accreditation.
Women, Vulnerable Groups Participate
The observation hub reported significant voter participation among women, persons with disabilities, and other vulnerable groups.
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Women accounted for about 59 per cent of voters in the polling units observed, while Persons with Disabilities made up more than 70 per cent of voters in designated disability-focused polling units.
The hub also said women constituted 36 per cent of polling officials in the 12 designated polling units for Persons with Disabilities that were observed.
Security Personnel Praised
On election security, the observers reported an average deployment of three security personnel per polling unit in the areas monitored.
They described the conduct of security personnel as professional, saying their presence helped maintain order and supported the smooth conduct of voting.
The observers also described voter turnout as impressive, while noting that the overall electoral environment remained calm across the polling units covered.
The preliminary assessment was based on reports from stationary and roving observers deployed across the state. Their monitoring covered the opening of polls, accreditation, voting and the wider election environment.
The hub said its observers would remain on the ground to monitor counting, collation and transmission of results before issuing a comprehensive post-election report.
It also urged political parties, candidates and voters to avoid circulating unverified results and to await official declarations by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.