Fresh concerns have emerged over the transparency of result transmission in Saturday’s Osun governorship election, with the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria Election Observation Hub (EU-SDGN EOH) asking the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to clarify which version of a polling unit result will prevail where discrepancies occur.
The observation group also identified Osogbo and Irewole Local Government Areas as critical-risk areas, while 11 other local governments were classified as high-risk ahead of the election.
The EU-SDGN EOH, which has deployed 843 observers across the state, raised the concerns in its final pre-election assessment released on Friday.
The Hub comprises the Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO), International Press Centre (IPC), Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF), TAF Africa, The Kukah Centre (TKC) and Yiaga Africa.
According to the group, while INEC has declared itself operationally, technologically and logistically ready for the election, uncertainties surrounding the electronic transmission and collation of results could affect public confidence in the outcome if not properly addressed.
It specifically questioned the relationship between the physical EC8A result sheet, the scanned copy uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), the copy retained on the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the electronically transmitted e-EC8A.
The Hub said INEC had not sufficiently explained what happens to results transmitted electronically from polling units before they appear on IReV.
It said the results appeared to pass through a backend validation process, but there was insufficient public information about who conducts the validation, what is checked and how long the process should take.
“The physical EC8A, the scanned image on the IReV, the copy retained on the BVAS, and the electronically transmitted e-EC8A may exist with no explicitly stated rule on which version prevails if they differ,” the observers warned.
The development, according to the group, makes it necessary for INEC to publish a clear, end-to-end protocol explaining the result transmission process before voting begins.
The observers also called on the commission to publish Ward and Local Government collation result sheets on IReV alongside polling unit results, arguing that this would enable voters, political parties and observers to independently follow the collation process.
Beyond the results process, the Hub raised concerns over the security situation in the state, placing Osogbo and Irewole in the critical-risk category.
Boripe, Obokun, Ilesa West, Ife Central, Ife North, Iwo, Ede North, Ifedayo, Ilesa East, Isokan and Irepodun were classified as high-risk areas, while the remaining 17 local government areas were rated moderate or low-risk.
The group attributed the security concerns to alleged organised political violence involving party-aligned thugs and youth groups, disputes over control of local government secretariats, criminal activities exploiting the political environment and the spread of misinformation and disinformation.
It said the threats included attacks on political leaders and party offices, shootings, alleged political abductions and violence during campaigns and rallies.
The Hub also expressed concern over allegations of police brutality, illegal arrests, misuse of force and extra-judicial killings, urging security agencies to remain professional, neutral and impartial before, during and after the election.
On the information environment, the observers identified Facebook, WhatsApp, TikTok and X as platforms particularly vulnerable to the spread of fake news, misinformation, disinformation and inflammatory political messages.
The group urged political parties and candidates to respect the July 30 Peace Accord, accept the outcome declared by INEC and channel any grievances through lawful and judicial means.
It also advised voters to arrive at polling units early, vote according to their conscience and reject intimidation, coercion and vote inducement.
Fifteen candidates are expected to contest the election across 3,763 polling units, 332 Registration Areas and 30 Local Government Areas following the inclusion of Social Democratic Party candidate, Francis Olugbenga Ajala, on the ballot.
The EU-SDGN EOH said its 843 observers would monitor the process in line with the principles of independence, impartiality and non-partisanship, documenting developments throughout the election.
The observers maintained that the Osun election would also provide an important test of Nigeria’s new electoral legal framework and offer lessons ahead of the 2027 general election.
