RismadarVoice Reporters, August 14, 2026
Yiaga Africa has warned that rising tension, pre-election violence and distrust in the electoral process could discourage voters from participating in Saturday’s Osun State governorship election.
The Chairperson of the organisation’s Osun Election Observation Mission, Asmau Maikudi, raised the concern on Thursday at a pre-election press conference in Osogbo.
Ms Maikudi urged political parties, security agencies, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other stakeholders to create a peaceful environment where voters could cast their ballots without fear or intimidation.
She said preparations for the election were generally on track but stressed that the credibility of the process would depend largely on INEC’s performance on election day.
“The electoral umpire had undertaken key preparatory activities across the 30 Local Government Areas, including Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) distribution, recruitment and training of election officials, mock accreditation, BVAS configuration, stakeholder engagement and election security coordination,” she said.
Ms Maikudi said the credibility of the election would depend on timely deployment of personnel and materials, reliable technology, consistent application of electoral laws and effective contingency planning.
She, however, noted that PVC collection was disrupted in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas, potentially limiting some voters’ ability to obtain their cards.
Although INEC had announced plans to allow affected voters to download electronic PVCs, she said limited access to digital services could prevent some eligible voters from taking advantage of the arrangement.
“This increases the risk of voter disenfranchisement,” she said.
On security, Ms Maikudi said incidents recorded in the weeks leading to the election suggested an increase in attempts to disrupt electoral activities and control strategic public spaces.
She cited an attack on a PVC collection centre in Odo-Otin, politically linked violence in Osogbo and disputes over the control of motor parks as developments that had heightened security concerns.
Yiaga Africa also expressed concern over what it described as inflammatory rhetoric and hate speech by political actors.
The organisation warned that such rhetoric could fuel violence, deepen political divisions and weaken public confidence in the electoral process.
It called for intelligence-led, coordinated and impartial deployment of security personnel, with adequate protection for electoral officials, facilities, materials and voters.
Ms Maikudi also urged security and law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute cases of electoral violence, threats, hate speech and other offences regardless of the political status or affiliation of suspects.
She warned that unresolved technical challenges could disenfranchise eligible voters, trigger disputes at polling units and undermine confidence in the outcome of the election.
The organisation called for more targeted voter education, particularly for women, youths and persons with disabilities.
Yiaga Africa also identified voter inducement as a major threat to the integrity of the election, saying it had documented instances of political actors distributing money and gift items.
According to the organisation, some of the distributions were presented as social interventions or charitable assistance, but their timing and proximity to campaign activities raised concerns about possible attempts to influence voters.
Ms Maikudi said voter education activities had increased since July 1, with INEC, civil society organisations and the National Orientation Agency playing leading roles.
She urged all stakeholders to avoid actions capable of discouraging voters from participating in the election.
“Pre-election violence, inflammatory rhetoric and persistent distrust in the process” could suppress voter turnout on election day, she warned.
