With less than 48 hours to the Osun State governorship election, election observation group Yiaga Africa has described Saturday’s poll as a critical test of Nigeria’s electoral preparedness ahead of the 2027 general election.

The organisation, in its pre-election assessment released on Thursday, raised concerns over election security, the deployment of technology, voter inducement, inclusivity and declining public confidence in the electoral process.

According to Yiaga Africa, the August 15 election goes beyond determining who governs Osun, as it will provide an important assessment of the preparedness of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and political actors for the next nationwide elections.

It said the poll would also offer one of the first major tests of reforms introduced under the Electoral Act 2026, including downloadable Permanent Voter Cards and the electronic management and validation of polling-unit results.

While acknowledging that INEC had completed most of its pre-election preparations, the group stressed that the credibility of the exercise would ultimately depend on the commission’s ability to effectively manage logistics, technology and election-day operations.

“Readiness must be judged by performance,” Yiaga Africa stated.

INEC is expected to conduct the election across 3,763 polling units in the state’s 30 local government areas, with 4,427 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System devices deployed for the exercise.

The commission has also put the number of registered voters at 2,339,233, while 15 political parties are fielding candidates in the election.

However, Yiaga Africa expressed concern over the low representation of women and persons with disabilities in the contest, noting that only one woman is participating as a governorship candidate, while none of the candidates publicly identifies as a person with a disability.

The organisation also raised concerns about the security situation in the state, warning that election-related violence had evolved beyond political rivalries and campaign clashes to include attacks targeting electoral activities.

It cited the attack on a Permanent Voter Card collection centre in Odo-Otin Local Government Area, politically motivated violence in Osogbo and disputes involving transport unions as developments that had heightened tensions ahead of the poll.

Yiaga Africa further condemned what it described as the increasing use of inflammatory rhetoric and hate speech by political actors, warning that such statements could aggravate tensions, trigger violence and erode public trust in the electoral process.

It called on security agencies to investigate and prosecute cases of electoral violence, threats and hate speech without political interference.

The group also expressed concern over the performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System during INEC’s mock accreditation exercise.

According to the report, some BVAS devices experienced temporary difficulties recognising fingerprints, facial features and older voter records.

Although INEC attributed the challenges to compatibility issues involving older voter data, Yiaga Africa warned that unresolved technical problems could result in voter disenfranchisement, delays and disputes at polling units.

The observer group also flagged the late inclusion of the Social Democratic Party governorship candidate, Dr. Francis Olugbenga Ajala, and his running mate, Faseke Babajimi Oladipo, following a Federal High Court ruling.

It said the court decision compelled INEC to reprint ballot papers and result sheets, thereby reducing the time available for distributing sensitive election materials.

Yiaga Africa warned that late judicial interventions could heighten the risk of logistical challenges and delayed commencement of voting.

Another major concern raised by the organisation was voter inducement.

It said it had documented the distribution of money and gift items by political actors, noting that although some of the activities were presented as social interventions, their timing raised concerns about attempts to influence voters.

The group also observed that voter education efforts remained uneven across the state.

While voter awareness campaigns had increased since July 1, Yiaga Africa said women-focused programmes were recorded in only two local government areas, while youth-focused initiatives were observed in three.

It warned that sustained violence, political tension and declining confidence in the electoral process could negatively affect voter turnout.

Yiaga Africa therefore urged INEC to resolve all outstanding technical challenges associated with election technology and activate contingency plans to prevent delays arising from the late distribution of revised election materials.

It also called on security agencies to remain neutral and professional throughout the election, while respecting the rights of voters, journalists and election observers.

Political parties and their supporters were urged to comply with the terms of the peace accord, refrain from inflammatory statements and shun vote-buying.

As part of its observation efforts, Yiaga Africa said it would deploy 300 stationary observers and 32 mobile observers across all 30 local government areas of the state.

The organisation said it would also deploy its Process and Results Verification for Transparency methodology and Election Result Analysis Dashboard 2.0 to independently verify election results and assess the performance of INEC’s electronic results transmission system.

Yiaga Africa described the Osun governorship election as a defining moment for Nigeria’s electoral system and a major opportunity to strengthen public confidence ahead of the 2027 general election.

“As the last major election before the 2027 general election, the Osun governorship election represents a crucial opportunity to strengthen public confidence in the electoral process,” it stated.

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