The Imole Campaign Council (TICC), the campaign organisation of Governor Ademola Adeleke, on Monday called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to strengthen safeguards ahead of the Osun State governorship election, raising what it described as 10 major concerns from recent off-cycle elections across the country.
Addressing journalists in Osogbo, the Director-General of the council, Sen. Kamarudeen Oyewumi, said the concerns were informed by reports of accredited election observers, reviews conducted by the council’s election surveillance team, publicly available evidence and experiences shared by voters during recent elections.
According to Oyewumi, the campaign council identified alleged shortcomings observed during the 2026 Federal Capital Territory Area Council election, the Ekiti State governorship election and several bye-elections conducted in states including Enugu, Nasarawa, Ondo, Rivers, Kano and Kebbi, urging the INEC to ensure such issues do not recur in Osun.
Among the issues highlighted were the alleged deployment of insufficient ballot papers and other sensitive election materials, concerns over the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), alleged cases of already thumb-printed ballot papers, technical challenges associated with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), and reports of voting without PVCs.
The campaign council also expressed concern over reports that political parties without candidates allegedly appeared on ballot papers and result sheets in some recent elections, saying such incidents could undermine public confidence in the electoral process.
Oyewumi further cited findings by election observer groups, including Yiaga Africa and the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, which he said identified challenges such as vote buying, BVAS-related accreditation issues, lapses in results management and breaches of ballot secrecy in previous elections.
The council also called for the deployment of additional BVAS machines and election personnel to polling units with large numbers of registered voters, arguing that this would reduce delays and minimise voter disenfranchisement.
It equally urged INEC and security agencies to investigate what it described as alleged claims by some All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders regarding the preloading of BVAS machines and the printing of extra result sheets ahead of the Osun governorship election.
The Imole Campaign Council further demanded transparency in the ongoing distribution of Permanent Voter Cards, insisting that all eligible voters, particularly those who registered or updated their records during the Continuous Voter Registration exercise, should have unhindered access to collect their PVCs.
According to the council, no voter should be denied the opportunity to participate in the election because of difficulties in obtaining a PVC.
Oyewumi said the purpose of the press conference was not to discredit the electoral commission but to encourage improvements that would enhance the credibility of the election.
He called on INEC to address the identified concerns before the election, while urging security agencies to remain neutral and professional throughout the electoral process.
The campaign council also appealed to political parties and their supporters to conduct themselves peacefully, expressing confidence that the people of Osun deserve a free, fair, transparent and credible election that reflects the will of the electorate.
