EiE Nigeria has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to close operational gaps identified during the 2026 off-cycle elections in preparation for 2027.
The organisation also said it would release findings from its citizen observation of the election and present them directly to INEC through an advocacy memo examining how the Commission’s existing electoral systems performed during recent off-cycle elections, particularly in relation to citizen participation.
EiE said the memo was not intended to challenge the outcome of the Osun election or duplicate post-election assessments by other civil society organisations. Instead, it seeks to determine whether INEC’s existing systems worked as intended when citizens encountered problems during the election and what measures the Commission could adopt before 2027.
The organisation said the exercise generated 532 polling-unit-level reports covering election preparedness, voter accreditation, voting, technology, security, ballot secrecy, accessibility and counting.
While most of the polling units observed were reported to have been peaceful and orderly, EiE said its observers documented recurring challenges, including delayed arrival of election officials, election materials and security personnel; BVAS and other technology failures; accessibility barriers; threats to ballot secrecy; voter intimidation; and alleged vote buying.
EiE stressed that the findings were not statistically representative of every polling unit in Osun and did not establish that any particular irregularity determined the outcome of the election.
However, it said the observations provide field-level evidence of challenges experienced by voters in an election where INEC’s existing systems and safeguards were expected to function.
BVAS Failures Reported Across Seven LGAs
According to EiE, BVAS-related challenges were recorded in seven of the 12 LGAs covered by its observers.
The reported problems included devices failing to start, interruptions during voter accreditation, slow processing and difficulties capturing the facial data of elderly voters.
The organisation said the incidents should be examined not merely as isolated election-day failures but as evidence that could inform future technology testing, training and deployment.
EiE also reported accessibility challenges in Olorunda and Ejigbo, including polling locations that were physically difficult to access and instances where EC40 forms were reportedly unavailable to voters requiring assistance.
Concerns were also raised over ballot secrecy and voter intimidation.
In Atakumosa West, observers reportedly documented an incident in which voters were assaulted while police and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps personnel were present. However, EiE also recorded an instance in Olorunda where security personnel responded promptly to a comparable threat.
The organisation said the contrasting experiences highlight the importance of examining how security responses are coordinated and implemented at polling-unit level.
EiE said it also documented alleged vote-buying incidents in five of the 12 LGAs observed.
The organisation cautioned that the reports should not be regarded as established criminal findings without proper investigation. Nevertheless, it said they raise questions about how allegations of electoral offences are documented, referred to relevant authorities and followed up.
Akindeji Aromaye, Senior Media and Project Officer – Elections at EiE Nigeria, said the incidents should be treated as opportunities to identify weaknesses in existing electoral systems.
“If a BVAS failed, if a polling unit opened late, if a voter could not access a polling location or was intimidated while trying to vote, we need to know why it happened and what will be done differently before 2027,” Aromaye said.
He added that the incidents were not merely election-day occurrences but signals of areas where existing systems needed to work better for citizens.
Based on its observations, EiE is urging INEC to undertake a structured review of the Osun election and prioritise several areas ahead of 2027.
The organisation wants the Commission to review delayed polling-unit openings and deployment against its Election Monitoring and Support Centre (EMSC) and operational data to determine whether the risks were identified and how responses were triggered.
It is also calling for a comprehensive review of BVAS and other technology failures to identify recurring problems and incorporate the lessons into future testing, training and deployment.
EiE further wants INEC to review complaints and incident reports received through its existing citizen channels, identify recurring problems and communicate appropriate corrective measures.
The organisation also called for a review of the implementation of INEC’s accessibility framework, stronger protection of voters from intimidation and violence, improved security coordination, and a more effective feedback mechanism between INEC and accredited election observers.
EiE said it would formally engage INEC with its detailed findings and recommendations, focusing on the implementation gaps identified through its citizen observation.
The organisation also plans to compare the evidence generated by its observers with INEC’s internal data on election readiness, technology, citizen complaints, accessibility and security.
Ufuoma Nnamdi-Udeh, Executive Director of EiE Nigeria, said the electoral learning process should continue beyond the declaration of results.
“The work of strengthening democracy cannot stop when the votes have been counted, and a winner has been declared,” Nnamdi-Udeh said.
According to her, INEC already has systems for election readiness, technology, citizen complaints, accessibility, observer engagement and election security. The priority now, she said, should be to determine where those systems worked, where they failed and what needs to change before the 2027 elections.
EiE said it would continue engaging INEC, relevant institutions and civil society partners on the lessons from the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections and monitor the Commission’s response.
For the organisation, the Osun election may have ended, but the institutional lessons from the exercise remain critical to strengthening the credibility of the 2027 General Elections.
