The United Kingdom, on Monday, congratulated Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, on his re-election. But it also raised concerns over issues believed to be capable of tainting the credibility of the exercise.
UK said the issues included alleged vote-buying, voter interference, accessibility for persons with disabilities and the elderly, as well as overcrowding linked to the limited and slow deployment of BVAS devices during the August 15 governorship election.
The British High Commission, in a statement, commended the people of Osun State for their peaceful and active participation in the election. But it urged relevant institutions to learn from the shortcomings observed during the poll ahead of the 2027 general election.
The commission said it had met with a range of stakeholders before election day and deployed its own team of accredited observers across the state.
Based on the observations of its team and findings from credible independent observer organisations with wider deployments, the commission said several aspects of the electoral process were encouraging.
It cited the opening of polling units as scheduled in many locations, the commitment of security personnel to maintaining order, and the effective implementation of electoral procedures by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The high commission particularly commended the resilience and participation of voters throughout the election.
However, it said the generally peaceful conduct of the election did not eliminate concerns over practices capable of undermining electoral credibility.
The British High Commission noted reports of isolated incidents that generated tension before and during the election, as well as the continuing challenge of voter interference, including vote-buying across party lines.
It also raised concerns over the accessibility of the electoral process for persons with disabilities and elderly voters.
Another issue highlighted was overcrowding at some polling locations, which the commission attributed partly to the speed and limited availability of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for voter accreditation.
UK urged relevant Nigerian institutions to review the identified challenges and draw lessons from the election to improve future polls.
It specifically referenced recommendations from credible civil society election-monitoring organisations, including Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, as potentially useful in strengthening public confidence, transparency, and accountability.
Looking ahead to the 2027 general election, the British High Commission cautioned that some of the advantages noticed during an off-cycle governorship election, including the ability to deploy additional personnel and resources, could be more difficult to replicate during nationwide elections.
It urged stakeholders to use the Osun experience to identify areas requiring improvement before the next general election.
UK said lessons from the election should contribute to stronger electoral integrity, inclusiveness, and credibility.
It also reaffirmed its commitment to working with Nigeria’s electoral institutions, civil society organisations, and other partners to support peaceful, transparent, inclusive, and credible elections, adding that strengthening Nigeria’s democratic institutions remains central to its engagement with the country.
Michael Olugbode
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