The founder and CEO of TAF Africa, and also a policy and governance analyst, Jake Epelle, has called for a free, credible and people-driven electoral process in Osun State, urging political leaders to allow voters to freely determine who governs them.
Speaking with ARISE NEWS on Friday, Epelle expressed concern over the pressure being placed on voters, security agencies and the electoral process, urging authorities to allow the people of Osun State to freely determine their next governor.
“I want to use this opportunity to call on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to please intervene by getting everyone… Abuja is emptied; Osun is populated with all the political bigwigs. They are here to show support, and that’s good. But allow the process. Allow the people of Osun State to determine their own destiny, to determine who becomes their governor.
“The pressure on the people, the pressure on the security architecture, the pressure on the electoral process, and the pressure on the common man in the street of Osun is just overwhelming. Let true democracy thrive. There should be no Abuja interference. There should be no political bigwig interference.
“Let the Osun people breathe and decide who leads them,” he stressed.
Speaking on the readiness of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), for the Osun State governorship election, Epelle said the commission must translate its preparations into effective performance at polling units, particularly amid the logistical challenges created by the late inclusion of the SDP candidate on the ballot.
“My general assessment from Osogbo is that this has become a significant institutional preparation. But we must distinguish between preparedness and performance. Preparedness is what institutions tell us before election day; performance is what voters experience at the polling unit. That distinction has become even more important following the very late court order requiring the inclusion of the SDP candidate. This requires INEC to produce ballot papers and result sheets that increase the number of political parties on the ballot to 15. Sensitive materials are now being distributed across the state. That demonstrates institutional responsiveness, but it creates a logistical election-day challenge. We have to deal with a compressed logistics window that affects timely deployment to polling units.
“For INEC, tomorrow is about execution. Will personnel and materials arrive on time? That is the critical question. Will BVAS function effectively? Will accreditation proceed smoothly? Will results be properly recorded at the polling unit and uploaded transparently? And will the entire process, from the opening of polls through collation and declaration, command public confidence? These are questions that all of us need answered,” he said.
Speaking on the heavy deployment of security personnel across Osun State, Epelle raised concerns about whether the presence of security forces would reassure voters or instead create fear and intimidation, while also calling for better welfare for officers deployed for the election.
“I was privileged to host the Commissioner of Police when he visited our booth here, and we interacted. I mentioned some of these concerns to him, as well as in my meeting with other civil society leaders and the IGP in Abuja. We raised concerns about the heightened incidence of security breaches, and people are somewhat worried. However, I want to believe that will not deter voters from coming out and performing their civic duty of voting for the candidate of their choice.
“It is a growing concern here in Osogbo—the state of insecurity. There has been a show of force by the police, demonstrating that they are prepared for any security breaches. But my concern has always been the large number of security personnel deployed during electoral processes.
“My concerns regarding these numbers are threefold:
Factuality: Are these figures accurate? Is there evidence that we actually have that number of security personnel on the ground? Necessity: Do we really need such a large number?
Impact: Does it create more fear and agitation among citizens?
“We should take care of our security personnel, because if you do not provide security for the people who are giving us security, there will be a state of insecurity,” he warned.
Epelle also raised concerns over the inflammatory rhetoric from some political leaders ahead of the election, warning that careless statements could heighten tensions and influence supporters negatively, while urging politicians to promote calm and peaceful conduct.
“I am not going to sound pessimistic, but I am concerned when taking into account the level of damaging and insecurity-prone rhetoric from politicians. Some of the rhetoric we have heard is unbecoming of people in leadership positions making these careless and unacceptable statements. I was happy when the Police Commissioner stated that a particular senator had been invited for questioning. I hope he will be civil enough to make statements that calm his supporters down. I am very concerned, but hopefully, we will have a peaceful atmosphere tomorrow.”
On the issue of vote trading, Epelle warned that financial inducement could influence the outcome of the election, while criticising the failure of security operatives to take decisive action against those involved.
“It has become the norm in Nigerian politics that vote trading is part of the democratic process—shamefully so. I do not think that can be easily abated. I would not be surprised if it becomes the order of the day tomorrow. What is concerning and discouraging to me is seeing security operatives watch these individuals, look the other way, and do nothing. Even when they pretend to make arrests, you never see prosecutions. There is no doubt that that will continue to happen and become the order of the day in our democratic process, shamefully so,” he lamented.
On electoral inclusion, Epelle acknowledged INEC’s commitment to the inclusion of persons with disabilities, older citizens and other vulnerable voters through its policies and framework, but said translating that commitment into practice at polling units remains a major challenge.
“This is why I live, this is why I breathe: inclusion in the electoral process. We have been in this fight for a very long time. We’ve been able to convince INEC. At the headquarters, I must say, the chairman and some of his commissioners have shown a great deal of interest and have taken it upon themselves to preach inclusion.
“It is one thing to preach a sermon; it is another thing to practice the sermon that you are preaching. That is where I keep having problems with the electoral umpire. What they say and what happens at the operational level—the administration of inclusion—differ.”
He urged the INEC Chairman, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, National Commissioners and political actors to ensure that persons with disabilities can vote independently, stressing the need for accessible polling units, priority voting and sign language support.
“I pray that this particular INEC Chairman and the REC, who have assured us that we will see inclusivity at the polling unit, deliver.”
Epelle said he would consider 50 per cent inclusion in the election a positive outcome, noting that while the commission has the political will to promote inclusion, translating that commitment into practice remains a struggle.
“Does INEC have the political will to drive inclusion? Yes. Does the chairman want to see inclusivity? Yes. I want to use this opportunity to appeal to the chairman, to the REC, to the National Commissioners in charge of the election in Osun State, and to the political gladiators to ensure true inclusivity—that persons with disability are given the opportunity to cast their vote and decide who leads them eventually. In direct answer to your question, if I see 50% inclusion in this election, I’ll be happy. But often times, we don’t see that.”
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