An election observer group says political competition and technology helped improve the credibility of the 2026 Osun governorship election.
The group said strong competition among political parties gave voters more choices. At the same time, the use of technology helped improve the voting process.
The Osun State governorship election was held on Saturday, August 15, with Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party emerging as the winner with 511,067 votes, defeating the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who scored 444,815 votes.
According to the observer group, technology played an important role during the election.
For instance, the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, known as BVAS, helped election officials verify voters before they cast their ballots.
In addition, the electronic transmission of results helped improve transparency during the process.
According to its analysis, registered voters increased from 1,952,387 in 2022 to 2,339,544 in 2026, representing a 19.8 per cent rise. Accredited voters also increased from 827,218 in 2022 to 1,010,684 in 2026, while total votes cast rose from 823,124 to 1,005,800.
The group said the proper use of technology can also increase public confidence in elections.
Meanwhile, the group said political competition also helped strengthen the election.
The presence of different candidates and political parties gave voters more options at the polls.
As a result, voters could choose among different political platforms and candidates.
The group noted that strong political competition can also encourage political parties to become more accountable to voters.
More importantly, the group said the Osun election could provide useful lessons for Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
Election stakeholders can use these lessons to improve the electoral process.
Going forward, stakeholders should focus on the effective use of technology, voter protection and a level playing field for political parties.
Overall, the observer group said combining reliable technology with genuine political competition could help strengthen Nigeria’s electoral system.
