TMG Commends INEC, Osun Voters, Urges Protection of People’s Mandate

The Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) has commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the relatively smooth conduct of the August 15 governorship election in Osun State, urging all stakeholders to protect the mandate freely given by voters ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The group particularly praised the absence of major technical glitches in most polling locations and the real-time uploading of polling-unit results on the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), describing the development as evidence that technology can strengthen transparency in Nigeria’s electoral process.

In a statement signed by its Chairman and Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, TMG also commended Osun voters for turning out peacefully despite reported cases of vote buying, intimidation, harassment and other attempts to influence the poll.

The group, however, urged the judiciary to protect genuine electoral mandates and ensure that litigation does not become a means of overturning the legitimate choice of voters through technicalities or politically motivated processes.

TMG said the Osun election offered an opportunity to recognise improvements in the electoral system while maintaining pressure on INEC and other stakeholders to address persistent weaknesses ahead of 2027.

It said the relatively seamless conduct of the poll and timely electronic transmission of results demonstrated that INEC, under its current leadership, was capable of delivering a more transparent electoral process when its systems functioned effectively.

“INEC deserves commendation where it gets things right. The Osun experience demonstrates that the Commission is capable of conducting a transparent electoral process, particularly through the effective deployment of technology and real-time results transmission,” the group said.

TMG cautioned against placing the entire burden of electoral malpractice on INEC, noting that practices such as vote buying, voter intimidation and thuggery were largely perpetrated by political actors and their agents.

It therefore called for greater accountability among politicians and their supporters, arguing that electoral offences should be traced to those who organise, finance and execute them rather than automatically blaming the electoral commission.

The organisation said Osun, alongside recent governorship elections in Anambra, Ondo, Edo and Ekiti states, provided encouraging evidence that peaceful elections were possible when electoral procedures were respected and voters were allowed to exercise their rights.

According to the group, the absence of significant post-election violence in those states should encourage political parties and candidates to accept electoral outcomes and pursue legitimate grievances through established legal channels.

TMG also urged candidates and political parties that participated in the Osun election to demonstrate political maturity by respecting the outcome of the poll, while encouraging those with genuine grievances to seek redress through the courts and other lawful mechanisms.

The group said political parties should begin moving away from campaigns driven by violence, vote buying, ethnic and religious mobilisation and political slogans, and instead compete on the basis of character, competence, programmes and records in office.

Looking towards 2027, TMG urged Nigerians to take greater responsibility for the quality of leadership they elect by obtaining and safeguarding their Permanent Voter Cards, turning out to vote and rejecting financial inducements.

It also cautioned voters against making electoral choices solely on the basis of religion, ethnicity, region or party loyalty, stressing the need to examine candidates’ records, policy priorities, teams and capacity to address the country’s challenges.

“Democracy is ultimately strengthened by informed and courageous voters. Nigerians must not sell their votes and must not allow religion, ethnicity, region or party loyalty to replace the responsibility of evaluating candidates on their character, competence, track record and credible plans for the country,” TMG said.

The group called on INEC to consolidate the gains recorded in Osun by strengthening election technology, logistics, voter accreditation, results transmission and communication ahead of the 2027 elections.

It also urged security agencies, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and other relevant institutions to intensify efforts to curb vote buying, intimidation, thuggery and other electoral offences.

TMG stressed that credible elections could not be achieved by INEC alone, but required the combined efforts of political parties, candidates, security agencies, civil society organisations and voters.

The group said the Osun experience should encourage Nigerians to believe that credible elections were achievable, while remaining vigilant and demanding continuous improvement.

“The Osun experience should strengthen Nigerians’ confidence that credible elections are possible. We must give credit where it is due, demand improvement where necessary and, most importantly, protect the power of the ballot by ensuring that every vote counts and every mandate freely given by the people is respected,” TMG said.