By Sabiu Abdullahi
The United Kingdom has praised the conduct of the Osun State governorship election and congratulated Governor Ademola Adeleke on his re-election.
The British High Commission disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday after the poll, noting that it had engaged various stakeholders before election day and deployed accredited observers to monitor the exercise.
The commission said its observers recorded several positive developments that were also identified by credible independent observer groups that monitored the election across the state.
“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.”
Despite the positive assessment, the British High Commission said it observed reports of isolated incidents that caused tension before and during the election.
It listed some of the concerns as voter interference, vote-buying involving different political parties, inadequate access for persons with disabilities and elderly voters, as well as congestion linked to the rapid deployment and limited availability of BVAS devices for accreditation.
The commission called on relevant Nigerian institutions to examine the challenges and use the findings to improve public confidence in the electoral system.
It also urged authorities to consider recommendations from civil society organisations, including the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, as part of efforts to promote transparency and accountability.
The UK mission cautioned that some of the advantages available during an off-cycle election may be difficult to reproduce during a nationwide election.
“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 British High Commission reaffirmed the UK’s readiness to work with Nigeria’s electoral bodies, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to promote peaceful, transparent, inclusive and credible elections.
It said such cooperation would also support efforts to strengthen the democratic institutions that underpin Nigeria’s electoral system.
