By Emmanuel Oloniruha
A coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), political parties and electoral stakeholders has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to maintain the standards recorded in the Osun governorship election.
The coalition said the standards should serve as the minimum benchmark for the 2027 general elections.
The coalition made the call on Thursday in Abuja at a National Post-Election Discourse and Roundtable on the outcome of the Osun governorship election and INEC’s performance.
The group comprises opposition political parties, the African Centre for Justice and Human Rights (ACJHR) and Ethnic Youth Leaders of Nigeria.
These include the Arewa Consultative Youth Movement, Ohanaeze Youth Movement, Middle Belt Youth Forum, Oduduwa Consultative Youth Movement and the PBAT Door-2-Door Movement.
Reading the coalition’s joint address, the National Organising Secretary of the Action Peoples Party (APP), Mr Obed Agu, said the Osun election represented a victory for democracy and a new benchmark for 2027.
He urged President Bola Tinubu, INEC and the political class to sustain the gains recorded in Osun and ensure that the 2027 elections surpassed the standard set by the state poll.
“Osun must not become an exception; Osun must become the benchmark. The standard achieved in Osun must be the floor below which the 2027 General Elections must not fall.
“If Nigeria can conduct an election in which political parties compete, voters freely choose, security agencies remain neutral, and INEC operates independently, there is hope for credible elections.
“If results reflect the will of the electorate, then there is no justification for returning to the old culture of intimidation, manipulation and electoral interference.
“The 2027 election must be better than Osun: more transparent, more inclusive, more technologically secure, more predictable and more trusted by Nigerians,” he said.
Agu said that after two days of post-election assessment, the coalition concluded that the Osun election met approximately 92 per cent of its review benchmarks.
He listed the parameters adopted, including institutional independence, adherence to the electoral timetable, security professionalism, polling procedures, and electronic transmission of results through the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) platform.
“Our objective was not to determine who won politically, but to examine how the election was conducted, what worked, and whether key institutions demonstrated commitment to credible elections.
“Based on reports, observations and stakeholder experiences, the Osun election met approximately 92 per cent of the benchmarks adopted for review. While no election is perfect, the process demonstrated meaningful progress.”
The coalition passed a vote of confidence in INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, and President Bola Tinubu.
Agu said the group unanimously passed a vote of confidence in Amupitan for his leadership, adherence to timelines and engagement with political parties, describing him as a “new democratic hero” following the Osun exercise.
He, however, urged the INEC chairman not to rest on the achievement but to safeguard public confidence by protecting the commission’s independence and expanding electoral technology.
Agu said Amupitan should be judged by his conduct in office rather than the circumstances surrounding his appointment, emphasising that “the appropriate test is his conduct in office.”
He said the commission’s conduct in Osun demonstrated the importance of an electoral umpire operating with independence and integrity.
Agu said election credibility largely depended on the electoral commission’s ability to resist political pressure and allow voters to determine the outcome.
According to Agu, the Osun election had helped strengthen public confidence by creating an environment where voters could exercise their constitutional rights and have their votes counted.
He described INEC as an impartial referee whose responsibility was not to determine winners but to establish conditions under which the electorate could freely determine the outcome.
Speaking on behalf of the African Centre for Justice and Human Rights, Miss Precious Okonda said democracy should ultimately be measured by citizens’ freedom to choose their leaders without intimidation, coercion or fear.
Okonda said the organisation was encouraged by the conclusions of the two-day discourse, describing them as evidence of “meaningful progress” in democratic participation.
She commended Tinubu for allowing the Federal Government to maintain neutrality during the Osun election, emphasising that “neutrality by government is not a political favour. It is a democratic obligation.”
She also commended Amupitan for demonstrating commitment to institutional independence, stakeholder engagement, electoral preparation and credible electoral administration.
Okonda, however, said civil society would continue to monitor INEC and demand accountability to ensure sustained improvement in the electoral process.
