The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Nigeria Police Force, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), political parties and their agents that the Saturday August 15th 2026 Osun State governorship election must not be turned into another theatre of electoral violence, intimidation, vote-buying and institutional manipulation.

HURIWA insists that there must be zero tolerance for armed thuggery, ballot snatching, vote-buying, voter intimidation, harassment of opposition supporters and every other form of electoral criminality before, during and after the election.

The rights group is particularly concerned about the conduct of security and law-enforcement agencies. The Police and EFCC must convince Nigerians that they are institutions of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and not enforcement arms of the ruling APC or any other political party.

HURIWA will not accept a situation in which security agencies selectively arrest, intimidate or harass members and supporters of opposition parties while political actors aligned with the government are allowed to operate with impunity.

INEC MUST NOT FAIL NIGERIANS AGAIN

HURIWA calls on INEC to understand the enormous responsibility before it. The Osun election is not merely another off-cycle election; it is a critical test of whether the commission’s current leadership is genuinely committed to conducting elections in which the votes of Nigerians count.

INEC must therefore demonstrate absolute independence, transparency, professionalism and impartiality throughout the process.

The commission must ensure that every eligible voter is allowed to vote without fear or intimidation and that the collation and declaration of results are conducted in accordance with the law.

Most importantly, the electorate must not be shut out of the results-transmission process.

HURIWA demands maximum transparency in the electronic transmission and publication of polling-unit results. Nigerians must be able to monitor the movement of results from polling units through the various stages of collation.

Any attempt to create an opaque results-management system will inevitably fuel suspicion and undermine confidence in the election.

OSUN MUST NOT BECOME A TESTING GROUND FOR ELECTORAL MANIPULATION

HURIWA warns political actors against turning Osun State into a battlefield for political desperation.

The organisation will strongly oppose any attempt by politicians to deploy armed thugs, state-sponsored intimidation, financial inducement or security agencies to subvert the will of the people.

Political power must come from the ballot box and not from the barrel of a gun, bags of money or the manipulation of electoral institutions.

We therefore call on all political parties and candidates to sign up to peaceful and transparent elections and to reject violence before their supporters reject democracy itself.

THE 2027 QUESTION STARTS IN OSUN

HURIWA considers the Osun election a major litmus test for INEC ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Nigerians are watching the current Chairman and National Commissioners of INEC closely. The manner in which the commission handles Osun will significantly shape public confidence in its preparedness and willingness to conduct credible presidential, governorship and legislative elections in 2027.

If INEC cannot guarantee transparency in an off-cycle election, Nigerians will understandably question its capacity to conduct a credible nationwide election.

The commission must therefore use Osun to demonstrate that Nigeria’s electoral democracy is moving forward, not backwards.

HURIWA demands that:

- INEC guarantees a transparent, credible, free and fair election.

- The Police and EFCC maintain strict political neutrality.

- Security agencies protect voters rather than intimidate them.

- Vote-buying and financial inducement are aggressively prosecuted.

- Armed thugs and electoral criminals are arrested and prosecuted irrespective of political affiliation.

- Polling-unit results are transparently transmitted and made accessible to the electorate.

- Political parties respect the rules and commit to peaceful conduct.

- No candidate or political party is allowed to manipulate state institutions for electoral advantage.

HURIWA will not be deceived by cosmetic assurances of electoral neutrality.

The people of Osun State have the constitutional right to freely choose their leaders, and nobody — whether politician, security officer or electoral official — has the right to steal that choice from them.

Anything short of a transparent, credible, free and fair election in Osun State will be a dangerous assault on Nigeria’s democracy and will be rejected by Nigerians.