Northern Pulse: TMG commends INEC, Osun Voters, calls for protection of people’s mandate

By Perpetua Onuegbu

The Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) has commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the relatively seamless conduct of the August 15 Osun governorship election.

The Chairman of the group and Executive Director Civil Society Legislative and Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) Auwal Rafsanjani gave this commendation in a statement he signed in Abuja.

The group particularly praised the absence of major technical glitches and real-time uploading of polling-unit results on the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).

TMG also called on the judiciary to protect genuine mandates freely given by voters and ensure electoral litigation does not truncate legitimate electoral choices.

It urged the courts to ensure that electoral disputes strengthen, rather than undermine, the sanctity of the ballot and democratic processes.

The group cautioned against using technicalities, procedural manipulation or politically motivated litigation to overturn the genuine will of the electorate.

TMG commended Osun voters for their resilience, peaceful participation and determination to exercise their democratic rights despite reported attempts at voter suppression.

The group cited reported incidents of vote buying, intimidation, harassment and other unlawful practices in some locations during the election.

In a statement signed by TMG Chairman, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, the group said the election showed improvements in Nigeria’s electoral process.

Rafsanjani, who is also Executive Director of CISLAC, urged Nigerians to continue demanding greater transparency, accountability and professionalism from INEC.

TMG said the smooth conduct and timely electronic transmission of results demonstrated INEC’s capacity to deliver transparent and credible elections when its systems function effectively.

It said INEC should not automatically be blamed for electoral malpractice, particularly when violations are perpetrated by political actors and their supporters.

“INEC deserves commendation where it gets things right.

The Osun experience demonstrates that the Commission is capable of conducting a transparent electoral process,” TMG said.

The group said vote buying, intimidation, thuggery and electoral manipulation remained largely driven by politicians and their agents, who must be held accountable.

TMG said the Osun election, alongside recent polls in Anambra, Ondo, Edo and Ekiti, provided encouraging evidence that peaceful elections were possible.

It said the absence of significant post-election violence should strengthen public confidence and encourage political actors to accept outcomes or seek lawful redress.

The group urged Osun candidates and political parties to demonstrate political maturity by respecting the mandate expressed by voters and using established legal channels.

TMG also urged political parties to move away from violence, vote buying, religious and ethnic mobilisation, and empty slogans toward issue-based political competition.

Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the group urged Nigerians to obtain and safeguard their Permanent Voter Cards and vote without selling their ballots.

It cautioned voters against choosing candidates based solely on religion, ethnicity, region, party loyalty or political slogans instead of competence, character and credibility.

TMG urged INEC, security agencies and anti-corruption institutions to strengthen election technology, logistics, accreditation, results transmission and efforts against electoral offences ahead of 2027.(NAN)