By Our Reporter
The voting may have ended in the Osun 2026 governorship election, but the scrutiny is far from over.
The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), through its Media in National Elections (MiNE) project, has raised concerns over incidents reported across several parts of Osun State, saying the coming hours will be critical to the credibility of the electoral process.
In its election-day assessment based on reports from 25 of the state’s 30 Local Government Areas, CJID said 56 per cent of the LGAs covered recorded reports or allegations of possible voter inducement.
The assessment also showed that 44 per cent reported difficulties with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), connectivity problems or delays that affected voting.
Beyond the technical challenges, the election monitoring report highlighted security and conduct-related concerns.
According to CJID, 24 per cent of the LGAs covered recorded incidents involving intimidation or interference with observers, voters or party agents, while 20 per cent recorded security-related incidents or tensions.
For voters who spent hours waiting to cast their ballots, and for candidates and party agents anxiously monitoring the process, these incidents could shape perceptions of the election long after polling stations have closed.
But CJID stressed that attention must now shift from voting to what happens to the ballots and results.
The organisation identified five critical areas to watch: accreditation figures, ballot reconciliation, disputed ballots, party-agent tensions and the collation of results.
It said polling units must clearly establish and communicate the number of accredited voters before results are declared, while the number of counted, rejected and unused ballots should be properly reconciled with accredited voter figures.
Disagreements over disputed ballots must also be handled transparently, particularly in places where disagreements could escalate into tension.
CJID further urged stakeholders to monitor interactions between party agents, electoral officials and security personnel to ensure that disputes do not disrupt the collation process.
Most importantly, results and supporting figures must remain properly documented as they move from polling units to collation centres.
With the polls closed, the focus has therefore shifted to the integrity of the figures that will eventually determine who emerges as the next governor of Osun State.
For voters, the expectation is simple: that every valid vote will count, every disputed process will be properly addressed, and the final result will reflect what happened at the polling units.
The coming hours will determine whether the electoral process can move from a contested voting day to a transparent and credible conclusion.
