By Daily Touch Insights Editorial Team
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POLITICS & DEMOCRACY — The Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) has commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and voters in Osun State following Saturday's governorship election, while urging political actors and the judiciary to protect the mandate expressed by voters.

TMG said the election was largely conducted without major technical problems in most locations and noted that results were mostly uploaded in real time through INEC's Result Viewing Portal, known as IReV.

The group said the Osun election demonstrated that improvements in Nigeria's electoral process are possible when electoral systems and procedures operate effectively. 0

TMG Praises INEC's Performance

The democracy advocacy group said INEC deserved recognition for areas where it performed well during the election.

According to TMG, the effective use of technology and real-time transmission of results helped strengthen transparency and public confidence in the electoral process.

However, the group also stressed that Nigerians should continue demanding accountability and greater transparency from the electoral commission.

Voters Also Receive Praise

TMG praised Osun voters for participating in the election and contributing to what it described as a largely peaceful electoral process.

The group said citizens remain central to the credibility of elections because the legitimacy of an elected government ultimately comes from the votes cast by the electorate.

The call for voters to remain peaceful also comes amid reports of electoral offences and irregularities recorded by election observers during the exercise.

TMG Warns Against Electoral Malpractice

While commending INEC, TMG said responsibility for electoral malpractice should not always be placed on the electoral commission.

The group pointed to practices including vote buying, voter intimidation and thuggery, which it said are frequently carried out by politicians and their agents.

This distinction is important because credible elections depend not only on the performance of INEC but also on the behaviour of political parties, candidates, supporters and security agencies.

The Group Wants the Voters' Mandate Protected

TMG's strongest message following the election was directed at political actors and the judiciary.

The group urged stakeholders to respect the choice made by voters and ensure that the electoral mandate is protected.

It acknowledged that courts have a constitutional role in resolving electoral disputes, but argued that litigation should strengthen confidence in elections rather than become a way of overturning voters' choices through technicalities or politically motivated cases. 2

Adeleke Declared Winner

The call came after Ademola Adeleke was declared the winner of the Osun governorship election by the State Returning Officer, Joshua Ogunwole, at the INEC collation centre in Osogbo.

Adeleke secured 511,067 votes, while his closest challenger, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress, received 444,815 votes.

Adeleke won in 19 of Osun State's 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji won 11.

APC Says It Is Studying the Results

The APC has said it is reviewing the results of the election and will consider the constitutional options available to it.

The party said it would consult its legal team before deciding on its next course of action, while urging its supporters to remain calm.

The development means the electoral process could still face legal challenges despite INEC's declaration of a winner.

Election Observers Reported Irregularities

Although TMG described the election as largely free of major technical problems, other observers reported several electoral irregularities.

Monitoring groups recorded cases involving vote trading, ballot-paper exposure, voter obstruction, campaigning at polling units and other alleged breaches.

One monitoring exercise reported 323 electoral offences and irregularities across 726 polling units observed as of midday on election day.

These reports underline why election monitoring and post-election accountability remain important even when the overall process is considered largely peaceful.

Technology Played a Bigger Role

The use of electronic systems for transmitting and viewing results was one of the notable aspects of the election.

TMG said the real-time uploading of results through IReV demonstrated how technology can contribute to transparency when properly implemented.

However, technology alone cannot eliminate electoral malpractice.

Strong institutions, transparent procedures, independent monitoring and responsible political behaviour are still required.

Why Protecting the Electoral Mandate Matters

An election does not end simply because votes have been counted.

The credibility of the entire process also depends on what happens afterward.

If legitimate results are respected, citizens are more likely to trust elections. If political disputes are resolved through transparent legal procedures, democratic institutions become stronger.

But if voters believe their decisions can easily be overturned through political pressure or abuse of the legal system, confidence in democracy can decline.

Our Perspective

The Osun election offers both encouraging signs and important warnings.

INEC's use of technology and the largely peaceful conduct of voting are positive developments. At the same time, reports of vote buying, intimidation and other irregularities show that Nigeria's electoral system still has serious weaknesses to address.

TMG's central argument is therefore important: improving elections requires more than asking INEC to perform better.

Political parties must respect the rules, voters must be protected, security agencies must remain professional, and courts must resolve genuine disputes without turning technicalities into a substitute for the voters' decision.

Conclusion

The Transition Monitoring Group has commended INEC and Osun voters following the 2026 governorship election while calling on political actors and the judiciary to protect the electoral mandate.

TMG said the election demonstrated that Nigeria can improve electoral transparency when technology and established procedures work effectively.

However, reports of vote trading and other irregularities show that important challenges remain.

The credibility of Osun's election will ultimately depend not only on how the votes were cast and counted, but also on whether the result is respected and any legitimate disputes are resolved transparently through the law.