SERAP Demands Urgent Probe into Vote-Buying, Violence and Electoral Offences During Osun Governorship Poll
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to launch an urgent and joint investigation into allegations of vote-buying, violence, voter intimidation and other electoral offences recorded during the 2026 Osun State governorship election. In a petition dated August 16, 2026, and signed by the organization’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP urged the three agencies to work together in transparently examining reports of financial inducement, illegal election financing, misuse of public resources and other irregularities that allegedly marred the exercise. The group stressed that a coordinated investigation would allow for proper scrutiny of the electoral, financial and criminal dimensions of the reported offences.
SERAP’s petition drew heavily on preliminary findings from the European Union’s Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria Election Observation Hub, which reportedly documented 323 electoral offences and irregularities across 726 polling units monitored as of midday on election day. Among the incidents cited were more than a hundred cases of vote trading, numerous instances of inducement involving polling and security officials, cases of voter obstruction, campaigning within polling unit premises, voter impersonation and multiple voting. The organization also referenced reports from the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, which documented the distribution of food items and drinks at a polling unit in Isokan Local Government Area, along with an incident involving the harassment of an election observer and alleged disruption caused by thugs at various locations.
The organization insisted that the credibility of the Osun State election outcome depends heavily on whether voters were genuinely free to exercise their right to political participation without coercion or manipulation. According to SERAP, allegations involving monetary inducement, threats of violence, intimidation and obstruction raise serious concerns about whether the process reflected the true and unhindered will of the electorate. The group argued that only a thorough and transparent investigation could resolve these concerns and restore public confidence in the outcome of the election, which saw Governor Ademola Adeleke secure re-election with 511,067 votes against 444,815 votes polled by his closest challenger, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress.
Beyond calling for domestic investigations, SERAP also urged the electoral and anti-corruption agencies to facilitate independent regional and international assessment of the election through bodies such as the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and relevant United Nations human rights mechanisms. The organization described this additional layer of scrutiny as complementary to domestic accountability efforts, arguing that external oversight would strengthen the overall credibility of the process and provide an added measure of transparency for stakeholders both within and outside Nigeria.
SERAP further asked the agencies to trace the source and movement of funds allegedly used to facilitate vote-buying and other unlawful electoral activities, while identifying the individuals or groups responsible for financing, authorizing or distributing such funds. The organization called for the preservation and thorough examination of banking records, mobile money transactions, telecommunications data, closed-circuit television footage and polling unit documentation that could support the investigative process. It also urged that anyone reasonably suspected of involvement in electoral fraud, corruption or related criminal conduct be properly investigated, arrested and prosecuted where sufficient evidence is established, including those alleged to have funded or facilitated the offences.
According to SERAP, these measures are not only necessary for ensuring accountability specific to the Osun election but are also essential in preventing similar patterns of electoral misconduct from recurring in future polls. The organization noted that with the 2027 general elections drawing closer, addressing these allegations decisively would help strengthen public trust in the electoral process nationwide. SERAP maintained that transparent investigation and appropriate consequences for proven wrongdoing remain critical steps toward safeguarding the integrity of Nigeria’s democratic system going forward.
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