…warns misinformation could trigger post-election violence

Ahead of the August 15, 2026 Osun State governorship election, Yiaga Africa has trained journalists and other election stakeholders on the management and transmission of election results, warning that misinformation and poor understanding of the results process could trigger post-election disputes and violence.

The training, held on Wednesday at Adolak Event Hall, Osogbo, focused on polling-unit results management and transmission, provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, citizens’ oversight mechanisms and the role of the media in promoting credible and peaceful elections.

Speaking at the Election Academy for Journalists, Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, described the Osun election as highly competitive, noting that it was taking place against the backdrop of a tense political atmosphere.

“I think what is clear is that this is a competitive election. It’s competitive for a lot of reasons,” Itodo said.

He expressed concern over incidents of violence recorded during the build-up to the election, saying the situation had heightened the need for accurate information and responsible election reporting.

“Based on the Kukah Centre’s election security information hub, there have been over 34 deaths in the build-up to these elections,” he said.

Itodo said the history of disputes surrounding election results made it necessary for journalists to have a proper understanding of the results management process, particularly the movement of results from polling units through the various stages of collation and declaration.

He said recent innovations introduced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) under the Electoral Act 2026 had further underscored the need for journalists to understand the electronic transmission of results.

“INEC is using electronic EC8As, and then also when you look at issues about the role of the IREV and how results have been manipulated in the past, it was necessary to take journalists through the processes, the journey of results, so they can improve on their reportage,” Itodo said.

The Yiaga Africa director warned that inaccurate information or misunderstanding of the electoral results process could heighten tension after the election.

He stressed the need for voters and the general public to understand the constitutional requirements for winning a governorship election, including obtaining the highest number of votes and meeting the required geographical spread.

“If there’s miscommunication about results, if people don’t know what it takes for a governor to emerge- that you need the highest number of votes, you need 25% in 20 of the 30 local governments, but there are also stages of reports- then it could actually serve as a huge source of violence,” he said.

According to Itodo, Yiaga Africa organised the training in partnership with the Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO) and the International Press Centre (IPC) as part of efforts to strengthen public understanding of the electoral process, mitigate conflict and build confidence in election results.

Participants were also introduced to the Election Results Analysis Dashboard (ERAD), an independent election intelligence platform designed to track, analyse and visualise polling-unit results uploaded to INEC’s IREV portal.

The training also examined the Process and Results Verification for Transparency (PRVT) mechanism, which is aimed at detecting and deterring electoral fraud while strengthening citizens’ confidence in the integrity of election results.

The organisers urged journalists, election officials and citizens to pay close attention to discrepancies between physical EC8A result sheets and electronic copies uploaded through the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), stressing that the figures should correspond.

Under the #OsunDecides2026 campaign, Itodo urged voters to take steps to protect their votes, including ensuring that the BVAS records zero accreditation before voting begins and insisting that only duly accredited voters are allowed to cast their ballots.

He also advised voters and observers to verify the accuracy of results announced at their polling units, confirm that the presiding officer captures and uploads the EC8A result to IREV and ensure that Form EC60E is posted at the polling unit for citizens and observers to record.

Itodo stressed that strict compliance with accreditation procedures was critical to preventing over-voting, which could affect the validity of results from affected polling units.

He maintained that greater public understanding of the results management process, coupled with responsible election reporting, would help reduce misinformation, prevent avoidable disputes and contribute to a peaceful electoral process in Osun State.

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