The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to urgently investigate alleged vote-buying, financial inducement, violence and other electoral offences linked to the 2026 Osun State governorship election.

The demand was made in a petition dated 16 August 2026 and signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare. It came shortly after INEC declared incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party the winner of Saturday’s poll. 

Adeleke polled 511,067 votes to defeat APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji (444,815 votes), winning 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas. 

ADC candidate Najeem Salaam finished third.SERAP urged the three agencies to “urgently, jointly and transparently investigate reported cases of vote-buying, financial inducement, illegal election financing, voter intimidation, violence, misuse of public resources and other electoral offences.” 

It also called on them to trace the sources and movement of funds allegedly used for vote-buying, identify those who provided, authorised or distributed the money, and preserve banking records, mobile-money data, telecommunications records, CCTV footage and polling-unit documents.

The organisation cited preliminary reports from the EU Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria Election Observation Hub. Civil society observers recorded 323 electoral offences and irregularities across 726 polling units as of noon on Saturday. 

These included:

103 cases of vote trading   

28 cases of inducement of polling and security officials   

31 cases of voter obstruction  

38 cases of campaigning at polling units  

14 cases of voter impersonation  

12 cases of multiple voting  

7 cases of election-official misconduct  

85 cases of ballot paper exposure

Observers also documented 38 security incidents, including thuggery, attacks on electoral officials and voter intimidation.

SERAP stressed that the legitimacy of the election depends on whether voters were able to freely exercise their right to choose. 

It called for investigation of compliance with sections 91–94 of the Electoral Act 2026 on campaign finance, and for the prosecution of anyone reasonably suspected of electoral or corruption offences.

The group said the probe should proceed regardless of the election outcome, with findings published and evidence made available to electoral tribunals where appropriate. 

It also recommended inviting independent scrutiny from the African Union, ECOWAS, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and relevant UN human-rights mechanisms.

“These measures are important not only for accountability for the Osun election but also for preventing recurrence, deterring electoral corruption and violence, and safeguarding the integrity of the 2027 general elections,” SERAP stated. 

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