The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, ICPC, were on Sunday asked to investigate alleged vote-buying, violence and other electoral offences in the 2026 Osun State governorship election.
The request is contained in a petition dated August 15, 2026, and signed by the Deputy Director of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, Kolawole Oluwadare, who prayed to the three agencies to jointly and transparently probe reports of financial inducement, illegal election financing, voter intimidation, misuse of public resources and other violations recorded during the poll.
The human rights organisation equally called for independent, regional, and international scrutiny of the election, just as it urged the agencies to invite the African Union, AU, ECOWAS, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and relevant United Nations human-rights mechanisms to complement domestic accountability processes.
Specifically, SERAP tasked INEC, EFCC and ICPC to trace the sources and movement of funds allegedly deployed for vote-buying, identify those who financed, authorised and distributed the funds, and preserve critical evidence including banking and mobile-money records, telecoms data, CCTV footage and polling-unit records.
The anti-corruption organisation further demanded prompt arrest and prosecution of persons suspected of electoral and corruption offences.
According to the group, “The legitimacy and credibility of the Osun State election result ultimately depend upon whether voters were genuinely able to freely exercise their right to participation and political choice.
“Where voters are allegedly induced with money or other benefits, threatened with violence, intimidated, obstructed or otherwise coerced, serious questions arise as to whether the Osun election reflected the free and genuine will of the electorate.”
Referencing preliminary reports from the EU Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria Election Observation Hub, EU-SDGN EOH, SERAP maintained that civil society observers recorded 323 electoral offences across 726 polling units observed as of noon on election day.
The breakdown includes 103 cases of vote trading, 28 cases of inducement of polling and security officials, 31 cases of voter obstruction, 38 cases of campaigning at polling units, 14 cases of voter impersonation, 12 cases of multiple voting, seven cases of election-official misconduct and 85 cases involving exposure of ballot papers.
The Hub equally documented 38 security incidents, including thuggery, attacks on electoral officials and voter intimidation.
SERAP said the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room also reported vote-buying and inducement, including the distribution of Jollof rice and drinks at a polling unit in Isokan Local Government Area, which caused disorder, alongside harassment of an observer.
The human rights group declared that the reported incidents violate Sections 125, 131 and 132 of the Electoral Act 2026 which criminalise bribery, undue influence and violence, as well as Sections 91–94 on campaign finance limits and disclosure.
The group also cited Sections 138 and 139 which allow an election to be questioned on grounds of corrupt practices.
In the petition addressed to INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, EFCC Chairman Olanipekun Olukoyede, and ICPC Chairman Musa Aliyu, SERAP suggested that a joint investigation will strengthen public confidence in INEC and safeguard the credibility of the 2027 general elections.
Consequently, SERAP called for the launch of an immediate joint probe into vote-buying, violence and misuse of public funds in Osun 2026, the tracing of illicit financial flows and preservation of digital, banking and video evidence, arrest and prosecute suspects, including sponsors and facilitators, audit compliance with campaign finance laws under Electoral Act Sections 91-94, publish findings and share evidence with election tribunals, and facilitate AU, ECOWAS and UN independent scrutiny.
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