OSOGBO, Nigeria — The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has called for an investigation into allegations of vote-buying, intimidation and violence during the Osun State governorship election.
SERAP made the demands in a petition, made available to The Trent via email, dated Saturday, August 15, 2026, as voters went to the polls across Osun.
The group wants INEC, the EFCC and the ICPC to conduct the investigation jointly.
It also called for scrutiny by African regional bodies and relevant United Nations human-rights mechanisms.
The election was won by incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party, who received 511,067 votes against 444,815 for Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress.
Observers Report Hundreds of Irregularities
SERAP based part of its demand on preliminary reports from civil society organisations monitoring the election.
The EU Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria Election Observation Hub reported 323 electoral offences and irregularities across 726 polling units observed by noon.
Those reports included 103 cases of alleged vote trading, 28 involving inducement of polling or security officials and 31 involving obstruction of voters.
Observers also recorded 38 cases of campaigning at polling units, 14 of voter impersonation, 12 of multiple voting and seven involving alleged misconduct by election officials.
Another 85 cases involved exposure of ballot papers.
The observation hub separately recorded 38 security incidents, including reports of intimidation, attacks involving election officials and thuggery.
The figures represent incidents recorded by observers and do not amount to findings of criminal responsibility against any individual or political party.
The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room also reported cases of inducement, including the distribution of Jollof rice and drinks at a polling unit in Isokan Local Government Area.
SERAP Wants Money Trail Examined
SERAP Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare said investigators should go beyond identifying people who allegedly offered money or other benefits to voters.
The organisation wants authorities to establish where funds used for suspected vote-buying came from and identify those who authorised, financed or distributed them.
It called for the preservation of bank and mobile-money records, telecommunications data, CCTV footage, polling-unit records and other digital evidence that could assist an investigation.
“The legitimacy and credibility of the Osun State election result ultimately depend upon whether voters were genuinely able to freely exercise their right to participation and political choice,” SERAP said.
The organisation urged authorities to prosecute people against whom credible evidence of electoral or corruption offences is established.
Regional and UN Review Sought
SERAP also asked Nigerian authorities to facilitate independent scrutiny by ECOWAS, the African Union, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and relevant UN human-rights mechanisms.
It said outside assessment should complement, rather than replace, investigations carried out by Nigerian institutions.
The organisation argued that a transparent investigation would strengthen public confidence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
SERAP also asked INEC, the EFCC and ICPC to publish their findings and make relevant evidence available to election tribunals and courts where legally appropriate.
None of the agencies had publicly announced a joint investigation in response to the petition as of Sunday.
