The Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) has commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the relatively seamless conduct of the 15 August 2026 Osun State Governorship Election, urging the judiciary to protect the genuine mandate freely given by the people.
TMG particularly commended the absence of major technical glitches in most polling locations and the real-time uploading of polling-unit results on the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), saying the development demonstrated that the electoral commission could deliver a more transparent and credible electoral process when its systems function as intended.
According to an official statement signed by the Chairman of TMG and Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, the group also praised Osun voters for their peaceful participation and determination to exercise their democratic rights despite reported incidents of vote buying, intimidation, harassment and other attempts to suppress voters.
TMG said the Osun election provided an opportunity for Nigerians to recognise improvements in the country’s electoral process while continuing to demand greater transparency, accountability and professionalism from INEC.
“INEC deserves commendation where it gets things right. The Osun experience demonstrates that the Commission is capable of conducting a transparent electoral process, particularly through the effective deployment of technology and real-time results transmission,” the group said.
It, however, stressed that INEC should not automatically be blamed for every electoral malpractice, noting that vote buying, voter intimidation, thuggery and other forms of electoral manipulation were largely driven by political actors and their supporters.
“Political actors who engage in vote buying, intimidation and other forms of electoral manipulation must be held accountable, rather than shifting responsibility entirely to the electoral commission,” TMG said.
The organisation also called on the judiciary to ensure that electoral litigation strengthens rather than undermines the sanctity of the ballot, warning against the use of technicalities, procedural manipulation or politically motivated litigation to overturn the genuine will of voters.
“Judicial processes must not become an avenue for overturning the genuine will of the electorate. The mandate freely given by the people must be protected,” the group said.
TMG said the Osun election, alongside recent governorship elections in Anambra, Ondo, Edo and Ekiti states, provided encouraging evidence that peaceful elections were possible when electoral processes were credible and the will of voters respected.
It urged all candidates and political parties that participated in the Osun election to demonstrate political maturity by accepting the outcome, while encouraging those with legitimate grievances to seek redress through established legal and electoral mechanisms.
The group also called on political parties to move away from electoral politics driven by violence, vote buying, religious and ethnic mobilisation and empty political slogans.
According to TMG, political parties should increasingly compete on the basis of character, competence, credible programmes, track records and their capacity to address the challenges confronting Nigerians.
Looking ahead to the 2027 General Elections, TMG urged Nigerians to take greater responsibility for the quality of leadership they elect by obtaining and safeguarding their Permanent Voter Cards, participating actively in the electoral process and refusing to sell their votes.
It cautioned voters against choosing candidates solely on the basis of religion, ethnicity, region or party loyalty, urging them instead to scrutinise the records, teams, programmes and policy priorities of candidates.
“Democracy is ultimately strengthened by informed and courageous voters. Nigerians must not sell their votes and must not allow religion, ethnicity, region or party loyalty to replace the responsibility of evaluating candidates on their character, competence, track record and credible plans for the country,” TMG said.
TMG urged INEC to consolidate the gains recorded in Osun by further strengthening its election technology, logistics, voter accreditation, results transmission and public communication systems ahead of 2027.
It also called on security agencies and relevant law enforcement and anti-corruption institutions to intensify efforts against vote buying, intimidation, thuggery and other electoral offences.
The group stressed that credible elections required not only an effective electoral commission, but also responsible political actors, professional security agencies and informed voters.
“The Osun experience should strengthen Nigerians’ confidence that credible elections are possible. We must give credit where it is due, demand improvement where necessary and, most importantly, protect the power of the ballot by ensuring that every vote counts and every mandate freely given by the people is respected,” TMG said.
TMG reaffirmed its commitment to monitoring Nigeria’s electoral processes and promoting credible, peaceful, transparent and accountable elections, urging Nigerians to celebrate genuine progress while remaining vigilant and demanding continuous improvement.
