The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on electoral and anti-corruption agencies to jointly investigate alleged vote-buying, financial inducement, violence and other electoral offences reported during the 2026 Osun State governorship election.
SERAP urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to conduct an urgent, joint and transparent investigation into the reported violations linked to the election.
In a petition dated August 15, 2026, and signed by SERAP Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organisation also called for independent scrutiny of the election by regional and international bodies, including the African Union (AU), ECOWAS, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and relevant United Nations human-rights mechanisms.
SERAP said the agencies should trace the sources and movement of funds allegedly used for vote-buying and other unlawful electoral activities and identify those who provided, authorised, distributed or facilitated such funds.
It also urged the preservation and examination of banking and mobile-money records, telecommunications data, CCTV footage, polling-unit records and other digital and documentary evidence that could assist investigations.
SERAP cited preliminary reports from the EU Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria Election Observation Hub (EU-SDGN EOH), which reportedly documented 323 electoral offences and irregularities across 726 polling units observed as of noon on election day.
The reported cases included 103 instances of vote trading, 28 cases of inducement of polling and security officials, 31 cases of voter obstruction and 38 cases of campaigning at polling units.
Observers also reportedly recorded 14 cases of voter impersonation, 12 cases of multiple voting, seven cases of election-official misconduct and 85 cases involving the exposure of ballot papers.
The observation report further recorded 38 security incidents, including alleged thuggery, attacks on electoral officials and voter intimidation.
SERAP also referenced reports from the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room alleging cases of vote-buying and inducement, including the reported distribution of jollof rice and drinks at a polling unit in Isokan Local Government Area.
According to SERAP, the incident allegedly caused significant disorder, while the Situation Room also reported the harassment of an election observer and alleged disruption by thugs.
The organisation said the reported incidents raised questions about whether voters were able to freely exercise their political choices.
“The legitimacy and credibility of the Osun State election result ultimately depend upon whether voters were genuinely able to freely exercise their right to participation and political choice,” SERAP said.
It argued that alleged vote-buying, threats, intimidation or coercion could undermine the free expression of voters’ will.
SERAP called on the three agencies to investigate and, where appropriate, arrest and prosecute individuals reasonably suspected of electoral, corruption or other criminal offences, including those who financed or facilitated the alleged acts.
It also urged the agencies to examine compliance with political-finance provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 and publish their findings where legally permissible.
According to the organisation, credible evidence that corruption, inducement, coercion or violence materially affected voters or the election should trigger appropriate legal action.
SERAP said the investigation was important not only for accountability over the Osun election but also for preventing electoral corruption and violence, strengthening public confidence in electoral institutions and safeguarding the credibility of the 2027 general elections.
The organisation further urged INEC, EFCC and ICPC to make relevant evidence available to competent electoral tribunals and judicial bodies where appropriate and lawful.