Osun 2026: INEC has set a new standard in electoral integrity— Ex-official
The Aug. 15 Osun Governorship Election will remain a reference point in Nigeria’s democratic evolution, Alhaji Taiwo Gbadegesin, a retired INEC official, has said.
Gbadegesin, former Head of Voter Education and Publicity, INEC Lagos, said this in an interview with the news reporters, while speaking on the conduct of the election.
He said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), under the leadership of Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, demonstrated preparedness, professionalism and transparency in the conduct of the election.
“The August 15, 2026 Osun State Governorship Election will for a long time stand as a reference point in Nigeria’s democratic evolution.
“In an atmosphere charged with high political stakes, intense expectations and deliberate attempts to test the resolve of our institutions, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, under the leadership of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, rose to the occasion.
“The commission delivered a performance that can only be described as unprecedented and legacy-defining,” Gbadegesin said.
He said INEC’s preparations included stakeholder engagements, training of ad-hoc personnel and timely deployment of human and material resources.
“From the build-up to the election, INEC demonstrated a level of preparedness that Nigerians had long yearned for.
“There were consistent stakeholders’ engagements, thorough training of ad-hoc personnel and timely deployment of both human and material resources.
“Polling units opened early across the 30 Local Governments and 332 Wards of the state and voters were accredited and allowed to cast their votes with minimal hitches,” he said.
Gbadegesin said the planning ensured that logistics, a major challenge in previous elections, did not undermine the Osun exercise.
“This early and deliberate planning ensured that logistics, which have been the bane of previous elections, did not become an albatross in Osun.
“The true hallmark of this election, however, was the effective deployment of technology in line with the Electoral Act 2022.
“The Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, functioned optimally and ensured that only accredited voters participated,” he said.
He said IReV enhanced transparency by transmitting polling-unit results in real time and allowing citizens, observers, media organisations and political parties to monitor the process.
“More importantly, the INEC Result Viewing Portal, IReV, transmitted results from polling units in real time.
“For the first time, citizens, observers, the media, and political parties could monitor results as they were uploaded.
“This transparency took manipulation out of the collation process and restored confidence in the system,” Gbadegesin said.
He acknowledged vote buying as a challenge, but said the problem was a social one and could not be blamed solely on INEC.
“Despite the challenge of vote buying, which remains a deep-rooted societal problem and not one that can be laid solely at the doorstep of INEC, the overall conduct of the election was judged to be free, fair and credible.
“The outcome was clear, the process was verifiable and most importantly, the result was accepted by all and sundry.
“That acceptance is the ultimate proof of a successful election and it makes the Osun Governorship Election an outstanding election in recent times, comparatively,” he said.
Gbadegesin attributed the performance to Amupitan’s leadership, saying the commission had moved beyond conducting elections to strengthening democracy.
“This legacy performance did not happen by accident. It reflects the purposeful leadership of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan.
“His name, which means ‘a good reference point,’ has once again been justified by this outstanding outing.
“Under his watch, INEC has moved beyond merely conducting elections to defending and deepening democracy in Nigeria,” he said.
He urged stakeholders to acknowledge the commission’s achievements while encouraging INEC to sustain transparency and compliance with the Electoral Act.
“It is therefore important that this achievement is not brushed aside or taken for granted.
“Stakeholders must learn to applaud excellence when they see it, instead of waiting for a slight error in order to shout heaven and earth and shed crocodile tears.
“To Professor Amupitan and the entire Commission, we encourage you to keep the pace. Sustain the transparency,” he said.
Gbadegesin urged the commission to sustain the standard established in Osun and make it applicable to subsequent elections.
“Continue to operate strictly within the ambits of the provisions of the Electoral Act. Nigerians are watching and history is recording.
“May God continue to dignify your worth, strengthen your hands and grant you the courage to keep raising the bar.
“Osun 2026 has shown what is possible when an electoral body is prepared, professional and patriotic.
“Let this not be an exception, but the new standard for all future elections in Nigeria,” Gbadegesin said.
The newsmen recall that the incumbent opposition Gov Ademola Adeleke of Accord Party defeated Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress candidate, Mr Bola Oyebamiji, at the poll.