Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has vowed to improve on the conduct of the August 15 governorship election in Osun State.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, gave the assurance on Thursday in Abuja during a solidarity march to the headquarters of the commission by African Centre for Justice and Human Rights.

Haruna said the commission’s performance in elections had continued to improve, expressing confidence that subsequent elections would build on the Osun experience.

The national commissioner stated that the conduct of the election was consistent with the commission’s commitment to conducting free, fair, and credible elections.

He told the group, “We thank you very much that you are happy with what had happened in Osun State. But it is consistent with what INEC has always stood for, which is that we are committed to conducting free, fair and credible elections.

“As you agree with me, all the by-elections we have had, each one has always been better than the one before.

“So, consistent with that, God willing, the next general election—there are a few by-elections we will still have—there will be an improvement on Osun, and ultimately, the general election itself next year will be an improvement.”

Haruna thanked the coalition and Nigerians for their continued participation in the electoral process, assuring that the commission would remain committed to improving the quality of elections in the country.

Earlier, Coordinator of the group, Obed Agu, said the Osun State governorship election had renewed the confidence of many Nigerians in the electoral process ahead of the 2027 elections.

The group maintained that if the standard demonstrated in Osun was sustained and improved upon, INEC could deliver a 2027 election that would strengthen the country’s democracy.

Agu said the group was a representative of political parties, ethnic youth organisations, community leaders, religious leaders, women leaders, civil society, and other democratic stakeholders, who participated in the National Post-Election Discourse convened by African Centre for Justice and Human Rights.

The coordinator emphasised that the Osun election had given Nigeria a new democratic benchmark, saying Osun must not be an exception, rather it must be the standard.

Agu stated, “For two days, we reviewed the Osun election. We examined the pre-election preparation. We examined election-day conduct. We examined security. We examined results management. We examined stakeholder engagement.

“Today, therefore, we present our solidarity to INEC and express our confidence in Professor Amupitan’s ability to lead the commission towards an even more credible, transparent and inclusive 2027 General Election.

“We examined the preparations already underway towards 2027. And we reached a clear conclusion. The Osun election has given Nigeria a new democratic benchmark. Osun must not be an exception. Osun must be the standard. We have come today to say:

“We have confidence in the electoral institution. And we have confidence that, if the standard demonstrated in Osun is sustained and improved upon, Nigeria can deliver a 2027 election that will strengthen our democracy.”

Opposition political parties, ethnic youth organisations, and civil society groups passed a vote of confidence in President Bola Tinubu, Chairman of INEC, Professor Joash Amupitan, and the heads of security agencies over the conduct of the recent Osun State governorship election.

The groups included the Arewa Consultative Youth Movement, Ohanaeze Youth Movement, Middle Belt Youth Forum, Oduduwa Consultative Youth Movement, PBAT Door-to-Door Movement, and African Centre for Justice and Human Rights (ACJHR).

They described the election as a significant victory for Nigeria’s democracy.

The groups challenged the federal government and INEC to ensure that the standard they established in Osun was not an isolated achievement but the foundation for a more transparent, credible, and peaceful 2027 general election.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, National Chairman of Action Peoples Party (APP), High Chief Uchenna Nnadi, who spoke on behalf of the groups, said the significance of the Osun election went beyond the victory or defeat of individual candidates and political parties.

Nnadi said the most important test of any election was whether citizens were allowed to vote freely and whether their choices were respected.

He stated, “The most important achievement of any election is not necessarily who wins or who loses. It is whether the people believe that they had a genuine opportunity to determine their leadership through the ballot.”

The groups commended Amupitan and the INEC leadership for what they described as courage, independence and integrity in conducting the election, urging the commission to consolidate the gains recorded in Osun.

Nnadi stated, “Mr Chairman, you have demonstrated through the Osun election that the credibility of an electoral institution ultimately depends on the courage, independence and integrity with which its leadership performs its constitutional responsibilities.”

The groups also described Amupitan as a “new democratic hero”, stressing that the recognition should spur him to ensure that subsequent elections met or surpassed the Osun standard.

They said INEC must remain an impartial referee whose responsibility was to create conditions for voters to freely determine electoral outcomes rather than determine winners.

Nnadi said, regarding Amupitan, “He allowed the electoral process to take its course. He allowed INEC to operate with the necessary independence.

“He allowed political parties to compete and, most importantly, he demonstrated that the Federal Government can permit a genuinely competitive electoral process without seeking to predetermine the outcome.”

The groups declared Tinubu another “new democratic hero”, urging him to sustain the approach ahead of 2027.

Nnadi said on behalf of the groups, “The Osun experience provides an opportunity for the president and the federal government to establish a clear democratic precedent: that electoral power belongs ultimately to the Nigerian people, and that government must respect the sanctity of their votes.”

They also praised the security agencies, particularly the Nigeria Police, Nigerian Army, and Department of State Services (DSS), for their role in protecting voters, electoral officials, and materials.

“Elections cannot be credible where voters are afraid to come out, electoral officials are threatened, materials cannot move safely, or political actors are allowed to intimidate their opponents,” they said.

The groups urged the security agencies to maintain professionalism, neutrality and restraint in future elections.

They described the people of Osun as the “real owners of democracy”, commending voters for participating in the election without allowing political competition to degenerate into violence.

They congratulated Governor Ademola Adeleke on his victory and urged him to govern inclusively.

“In a democracy, an election ends the contest but begins the responsibility to govern,” they said, urging Adeleke to regard his victory as a mandate to unite the state rather than an opportunity for political vendetta. (Arise News)

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