Sorting and counting of votes have commenced at some polling units across Osun State following Saturday’s governorship election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) across the state’s 30 local government areas.
As of 2:50 p.m., INEC officials had begun sorting and counting ballot papers at some polling units in Ilesa West and Ejigbo local government areas.
The election, which featured 15 candidates and 2.3 million registered voters, was marked by reports of technical difficulties with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), allegations of vote-buying and an outbreak of violence at a polling unit in Ejigbo.
Violence erupts in Ejigbo
At about 12:19 p.m., violence reportedly broke out at Polling Unit 13, Ward 4, in Ejigbo Local Government Area after a youth allegedly discovered materials suspected to be connected to vote-buying by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The youth reportedly seized the materials, saying he could not stand by and watch an alleged illegal act take place.
However, people who allegedly owned the materials later arrived at the polling unit and attempted to take him away.
The development triggered a confrontation, forcing voting to stop temporarily as INEC officials and residents reportedly fled the area for safety.
Adeleke alleges voter intimidation
Governor Ademola Adeleke, the Accord Party candidate, raised concerns over alleged intimidation of voters by security personnel and the APC.
Adeleke, who cast his ballot at about 9:10 a.m. at Abogunde Comprehensive 009, Ward 02, Abogunde Sagba, in Ede North, called on the Inspector-General of Police and other security agencies to investigate the alleged deployment of a police officer from Port Harcourt.
“I have received reports on authority, information that there is one police officer who was deployed to come and do a hatchet job in Osun from Port Harcourt. They call his nickname London. He is here in Ede hiding,” Adeleke said.
“He is here to come and destroy Ede, and then scare people, shooting so that they will not vote.
“So, I am calling on the Inspector-General of Police to take note. I am calling on the security agencies to take note.”
Salaam raises concern over party agents
The ADC governorship candidate, Najeem Salaam, also raised concerns over the alleged denial of accreditation to some of his party agents at polling units.
Salaam said the names of the agents had been uploaded as required but alleged that some were repeatedly denied accreditation and official tags.
“When you request for the party to upload their party agent and we did, I don’t understand how and why the party agent will not be given a tag,” he said.
“So if at the end of the day we do not have this, then the process is very questionable.”
Addressing allegations of vote-buying, Salaam said: “Vote buying is out of it. I have never in my life bought votes.”
Oyebamiji commends INEC, security agencies
In contrast, the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, commended INEC and security personnel for their handling of the election.
Oyebamiji cast his vote at Ward 9, Unit 11, in Ikire, Irewole Local Government Area, alongside his wife, Sekinat.
He appealed to voters to remain calm and conduct themselves peacefully as voting and the collation of results continued.
“So far, my assessment is that everything is going peacefully, especially this unit. The election is going peacefully; INEC is doing their job; at the same time, the security people are in charge,” he said.
“I need to appeal to the people that it is important that they conduct themselves and vote peacefully.”
Observers monitor polling units
International election observers were sighted at Polling Unit 001, Ward 04, Alajue, in Ede South, at about 11 a.m.
Earlier, at 10:48 a.m., voters at Unit 1, Alajue, Bode Street, Ede South, were seen waiting in a long queue to cast their ballots.
The polling unit has 869 registered voters, with voters reporting difficulties with the BVAS, which they said was operating slowly.
Oyebamiji arrived at the polling unit to cast his vote at about 10:47 a.m., while Salaam arrived at his polling unit at approximately 10:45 a.m.
Voting was also underway in Ijebu Ijesa, Oriade Local Government Area, and Esa-Oke, Obokun Local Government Area, at about 10:40 a.m.
However, Oluwole Oke, the APC Campaign Council Director-General, complained of a slight delay in accreditation in Esa-Oke, attributing it to difficulties with the BVAS.
Police: No arrests over electoral violence
The Osun State Commissioner of Police, Erale Samuel Etaifo, said about 100 people from neighbouring Ondo and Ekiti states were in custody over alleged plans to disrupt the election.
He said, however, that no arrests had been made on Saturday in connection with electoral violence.
“We have about 100 people in custody who have come from neighbouring states of Ondo and Ekiti to disrupt this election for the past one month. However, no arrests have been made today (so far) as a result of electoral violence,” he said.
BVAS issues, vote-buying allegations reported
Earlier, some voters in Ejigbo Local Government Area protested over alleged vote-buying by a political party in the area.
The development occurred amid reports of BVAS difficulties at Polling Unit 13, Ward 4, where a voter said the system failed to recognise her.
At about 10:01 a.m., an elderly registered voter at the polling unit said she would remain there until she was able to cast her ballot after the BVAS failed to authenticate her.
Voting, however, was ongoing at Unit 18, Ward 7, Esa-Oke, in front of the Osun State College of Technology in Obokun Local Government Area, as of 9:54 a.m.
At Iroyin Ayo Open Space, PU 013, Elejigbo D/Elejemo Ward, Ejigbo Local Government Area, party agents insisted that presiding officers count all the ballot papers before voting commenced.
The presiding officers reportedly said doing so would delay the start of voting.
The polling unit has 594 registered voters and is the polling unit of ADC candidate Najeem Salaam.
Voting begins across Osun
Accreditation and voting officially commenced at 8:30 a.m.
Earlier, by 7:50 a.m., voting cubicles and other election materials had been set up at Sabo Agbongbe II, Ward 7, Polling Units 001 and 011, in Ede Local Government Area.
Voters waited to cast their ballots while others checked their names on the voters’ register displayed at the polling units.
As early as 7:37 a.m., voters had gathered at Egbedore Ward, Abogunde Primary School polling unit, awaiting the commencement of accreditation and voting.
Voters also turned out at Unit 7, Oke-Oja, in Osogbo, as INEC officials prepared the polling unit for the exercise.
Distribution of election materials for the 2026 Osun governorship election reportedly began across the state from 7 a.m.
With voting now concluded at several polling units, attention has shifted to the sorting and counting of ballots as officials begin the next stage of the electoral process.
