Osun State election monitoring and voter engagement initiatives launched

The European Union has activated a Joint Election Observation Hub to monitor the Osun State governorship election in Nigeria. Operating under the EU Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) programme, the initiative coordinates six civil society organizations, including Yiaga Africa and the Nigerian Women Trust Fund, to oversee the electoral process.

Approximately 800 accredited observers will be deployed to monitor polling unit openings, voter accreditation, voting, counting, and results collation. The hub aims to track the participation of women, youth, and persons with disabilities while providing real-time verification to counter misinformation. A dedicated Election ReportPoint has also been established for citizens to report misconduct such as vote buying or intimidation.

In a separate stakeholder engagement in Osogbo, participants addressed challenges regarding the upcoming 2026 Osun State gubernatorial election. Stakeholders called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and civil society groups to combat youth apathy and high rates of invalid votes. Concerns were raised regarding the lack of age- and gender-disaggregated voter data and the need for improved civic education to increase participation among young people.