The Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI) has reported a 15.3 per cent failure rate in Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) authentication attempts during the early stages of the Osun State governorship election.
The election observer group also recorded three violence-related incidents and 19 reports of vote trading in its preliminary assessment of the poll.
KDI said the findings were based on reports received through its Election Day Data Room (EDDR) as of 12pm on election day and should not be regarded as a final assessment.
The organisation deployed 370 trained and accredited observers across all 30 Local Government Areas, 332 wards and 1,660 polling units in Osun State.
According to the preliminary report, 84.7 per cent of BVAS accreditation attempts were successful, while 15.3 per cent failed.
KDI said BVAS-related challenges were particularly reported in Ifedayo, Ife North, Osogbo, Ayedaade, Irepodun, Iwo and Egbedore.
The observer group said the performance of the accreditation devices remained an important factor in the conduct of the election, particularly where technical problems resulted in delays or voter queues.
On the arrival of electoral officials, KDI said 56.1 per cent of polling units reporting to its data room recorded early or timely arrival, while 43 per cent reported late arrival.
It identified Ifedayo, Osogbo, Ola-Oluwa, Ayedaade, Iwo, Ayedire, Atakumosa West, Odo-Otin and Irepodun as areas with the highest concentration of reported delays.
Despite the delays, KDI said election materials were generally intact, with 98.9 per cent of reports indicating that materials were intact.
The organisation said 79.3 per cent of observed polling units commenced voting before 8:45am, while 19.8 per cent started between 8:45am and 9:59am and 0.9 per cent began at 10am or later.
KDI also recorded 19 reports of voter inducement from 2,127 reports received at the time of its assessment, representing about 0.9 per cent.
The reports were concentrated in Odo-Otin, Irepodun, Ife North and Osogbo.
According to KDI, party supporters, party agents and community leaders were among those identified as alleged actors in the reported cases.
The organisation also recorded 17 reports of party-agent interference and seven reports of security-agent interference in polling activities.
KDI said three violence-related incidents had been recorded by midday.
The incidents were reported in Ife East, Ejigbo and Ilesa West.
In Ejigbo Local Government Area, Ward 4, Unit 13, political thugs were reportedly accused of invading the polling unit, chasing voters away and snatching election materials.
KDI also reported an alleged incident in Ife East involving police officers who reportedly invaded a Registration Area Centre and fired tear gas during the distribution of election materials.
In Ilesa West, Ward 8, Unit 7, political thugs were reportedly said to have disrupted voting and chased voters away.
KDI noted that the number of election-day violence reports recorded by noon was significantly lower than the violence recorded during the pre-election period.
Its pre-election monitoring recorded 81 election-related violence incidents and 15 fatalities between October 2025 and August 2026.
However, the organisation cautioned that the early election-day figures were not sufficient to conclude that the security threat had disappeared.
KDI said it would continue monitoring the conduct of security agencies, particularly as voting moves into counting and collation.
The organisation said its observers would remain on the ground through the close of polls, counting, completion and handling of result forms, electronic transmission and collation.
KDI said it would issue a comprehensive end-of-day assessment after receiving, verifying and analysing the full range of reports.
It urged all stakeholders to maintain peace, respect voters’ rights and allow election officials and other authorised actors to complete voting, counting and collation without intimidation, violence or undue interference.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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