Yiaga Africa Warns Logistics, Security, BVAS Issues Could Undermine Osun Governorship Poll

By Joseph Sunday

OSOGBO — Ahead of the August 15, 2026 governorship election in Osun State, Yiaga Africa has warned that gaps in logistics, security and technology readiness could undermine the credibility of the poll, describing it as a defining test ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In its pre-election statement jointly signed by Dr. Asmau Maikudi, Chair of the 2026 Osun Election Observation Mission, and Samson Itodo, Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, the group said the election will be held across 3,763 polling units in 30 local government areas, with 4,400 BVAS devices deployed for 2,339,233 registered voters. Fifteen political parties are contesting, with only one female candidate and no candidate publicly identifying as a person with disability.

According to Yiaga Africa, INEC has completed the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards, recruitment and training of personnel, mock accreditation, and stakeholder engagement. However, PVC collection was disrupted in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas. While INEC plans to allow affected voters to download electronic PVCs, Yiaga Africa noted that limited digital access could still lead to disenfranchisement.

On security, the organisation observed a shift from campaign rivalry to direct disruption of electoral activities. It cited an attack on a PVC collection centre in Odo-Otin, violence in Osogbo LGA, disputes over motor parks, and incendiary rhetoric and hate speech by political actors. It called for intelligence-led and impartial security deployment.

On technology, Yiaga Africa said its observation of mock accreditation in 36 polling units across 12 LGAs showed that some BVAS devices failed to recognise fingerprints, facial features and older PVC records, which INEC attributed to high compatibility thresholds. The group warned that this could result in disenfranchisement if not urgently addressed.

It also flagged logistics risks arising from a late court order. The inclusion of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, increased the number of parties on the ballot to 15 and necessitated a reprint of ballot papers and result sheets. The revised materials are expected to arrive on August 13, just two days before the election, thereby compressing timelines for sorting and distribution.

The group further documented vote-buying, including distribution of cash and gift items disguised as charity but timed to coincide with campaigns. It noted that voter education targeting women, youth and persons with disabilities remains uneven.

Yiaga Africa urged INEC to resolve the BVAS glitches, activate contingency logistics plans, improve coordination with security agencies under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, ICCES, and ensure transparent results management in line with the Electoral Act 2026, including unhindered access to collation centres for party agents, observers and the media.

It also called on security agencies to remain neutral, respect the rights of observers and journalists, and collaborate with the EFCC and ICPC to arrest vote-buyers.

For the election, Yiaga Africa said it will deploy 300 stationary observers to a statistically representative random sample of polling units and 32 mobile observers across the 30 LGAs under its Process and Results Verification for Transparency, PRVT, methodology. It will also run its Election Results Analysis Dashboard, ERAD 2.0, to independently audit results uploaded to INEC’s IReV portal.

The warning was issued at a pre-election press conference organised by Yiaga Africa’s Watching The Vote, WTV, on Thursday, June 13, 2026, at the Adolak Event Centre, Osogbo.

Speaking at the briefing, Executive Director of the Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa and Board Member of Yiaga Africa, Ezenwa Nwagwu, said Nigerians deserve an election they can be proud of.

“It has become embarrassing when the international community comes to tell us that our electoral process is a crime scene,” Nwagwu said. “Wherever you find Nigerians, they excel. But when it comes to our nation, it is like the wrong people have captured the system to the extent that we cannot have elections we can call credible.”

He said credible elections produce competent leaders who govern with the goodwill of the people, while flawed polls encourage vote-buying and entrench leaders who do not need public trust to win.

Also speaking, Yiaga Africa’s Executive Director, Samson Itodo, disclosed that revised ballot papers and result sheets had not arrived as of the time of the briefing, following a Federal High Court order directing INEC to include the Social Democratic Party candidate, Dr. Francis Olugbenga Ajala, and his running mate, Faseke Babajimi Oladipo.

“The revised materials have not arrived, and INEC has issued a statement to the effect that it has disrupted the logistics arrangement,” Itodo said.

He warned that without additional contingency measures, there could be late deployment of materials to local governments and Registration Area Centres, RACs, leading to a late start on Election Day.