Osun Residents Protest at INEC Office, Demand Free, Credible Governorship Election

Residents of Osun State on Tuesday staged a peaceful protest at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Osogbo, demanding clarification over circulating claims that the newly deployed Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Barrister Oluwatoyin Babalola was brought to the state to influence the outcome of the forthcoming governorship election.

The residents, comprising market women, market men, youths, students and members of the Coalition of Concerned Citizens in Osun State, said their gathering was aimed to address the new REC on the forthcoming election and appeal for a free, fair and credible electoral process in the state.

The demonstrator raised concerns over recent postings and redeployments within the commission, which they described as a process to undermine the credibility and transparency of the electoral process.

Speaking during the protest, a resident, Adeyemi Samson, said that the residents had come to appeal to the electoral body to ensure that Osun remains peaceful before, during and after the election.

He said, “ We have come because we’ve heard that she’s a good person and that she’s a mother indeed but we have to come to appeal to her because her coming here, this is a peaceful state and we want the election to be peaceful, to be free and fair that as many the voice of the people should go to where they are, their mission and the person they want to vote for, their votes should be counted in that direction and that’s why we are gathered here today.

“We appeal to the new REC to help us to beg the commission officers they will be using in the state, that they should do the needful, election should go in a peaceful way, we are begging in the name of God.

Also speaking, a hair stylist Adebayo Omowumi said that, “We came here to express our feelings on the new REC transferred to Osun state, to inform her that we want free and fair elections and assure us that the commission is going to conduct credible elections.

“I’m a hair stylist, all I want to beg her for is that we want a peaceful election this year because this state is a peaceful state, we are not here to fight, we just want to make our request known”. She added.

The chairman of the Coalition of Concerned Citizens in Osun State (CNCC), Musa Akinkumi Abdulsalam, also known as Comrade Musadek, while speaking, said that he called on the new REC to come out and publicly assure residents that forthcoming election is going to be a transparent election.

He expressed concern over the timing of the former REC transfer, describing it as suspicious, while referencing the 2007 election in the state, which he said should not be repeated.

“We want the new recently transferred REC to come out and address us about the upcoming election, assuring us that it will be free, fair, and credible. We want our votes to be counted without manipulation as the state of Osun is different from other states.

“To reiterate all the points of my fathers and mothers present, want happened in the state of Osun in the year 2007, we all witnessed it and we do not want it to repeat itself in 2026 in Osun State because this is a state of responsibility and we want the election to reflect and maintain the name.

“We want to state that the credibility of vote and voter count is ensured without manipulation because there’s hypocrisy in the sudden transfer of management of the INEC seeing that it is unfairly timely.

Addressing the protesters, the Head of Voter Education and Publicity, Rufus Ariyo, commended the residents for their peaceful conduct and reassured them of the commission’s commitment to credible elections.

According to him, the REC, Barrister Oluwatoyin Babalola, had already directed INEC officials in the state to ensure that the forthcoming election must be conducted on acceptable standards.

“With your request today, you’ve spoken INEC mind because on the day of the arrival of the new REC in Osun, Barrister Oluwatoyin Babalola, she warned every INEC officer in Osun that the forthcoming election should be a free, fair and credible election”. He said

Also speaking, the Head of Legal Department, Barrister Niyi Fayanju, said that INEC is ready to conduct a credible poll, noting that engagements had been held with security agencies and other stakeholders across the state.

“Be rest assured that there will not be anything like an inconclusive election or your vote will not count in this coming election, your vote will count.

“INEC has visited 19 local governments to speak with the DPO and agent on credible elections,and we have engaged INEC,NURTW and stakeholders as well.

“I just arrived from the headquarters and I was informed that the Osun state election has always been sophisticated and that every agent is always in the polling unit. I’m putting my life on the line so that we are ready to conduct the best election.

“INEC transfers a lot of commissioners. You are only aware of the one here in South West, there are many reasons for transfer and it is not influenced because of the coming election, there will be free,fair and credible election in Osun”. He said