UK commends Osun election, urges Nigeria to apply lessons to 2027 poll

 The British High Commission has commended the conduct of the
Osun governorship election and congratulated Ademola Adeleke on his re-election
as governor.

 

In a statement issued on Monday, the High Commission said it
met with a range of stakeholders in advance of election day and deployed its
own team of accredited observers.

“Based on their observations, and consistent with the
findings of credible independent observer groups with wider deployments across
the state, we welcome several encouraging signs of a positive democratic
process,” the statement reads.

“This includes the opening of polls as scheduled in many
locations, the commitment of security personnel to maintaining order, and the
effective implementation of electoral procedures by INEC officials.

“Most of all, we were encouraged by the patience, resilience
and participation demonstrated by voters throughout the day.”

The high commission said it noted reports of isolated
incidents that generated tension before and during the electoral process,
including voter interference, vote-buying across party lines, limited access
for people with disabilities and for elderly people, as well as overcrowding
due to the speed and limited provision of BVAS devices for accreditation.

The British High Commission urged relevant institutions to
review the issues carefully and to draw lessons that strengthen public
confidence, transparency and accountability, including recommendations from
CSOs such as the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room.

“As Nigeria looks ahead to the 2027 general elections, we
note that off-cycle elections benefit from the availability of additional
personnel and resources that may be more difficult to replicate at nationwide
scale,” the statement reads.

“We nevertheless hope that the experience of the Osun
election will help inform further improvements that strengthen the integrity,

inclusiveness and credibility of future electoral
processes.”

The commission said the UK remains committed to working with
Nigeria’s electoral institutions, civil society and other partners to support
peaceful, transparent, inclusive and credible elections, and to strengthen the
democratic institutions that underpin them.

Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday

Advertise on NOP NIGERIA to reach thousands of our daily users