The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) has described the governorship election in Osun State as largely peaceful, even as it acknowledged reports of vote buying and operational challenges with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
The election, which trended on social media with the hashtag #OsunDecides2026, saw voters across the state casting ballots amid a generally calm atmosphere. The CDD, which deployed observers to monitor the exercise, released a preliminary statement detailing its findings.
According to the centre, the BVAS experienced operational setbacks during the voting process. These included slow processing of voter details and biometric verification problems, creating difficulties for voter accreditation in some areas.
In addition to the technological issues, the CDD reported that its observers noted incidents of vote buying. The centre did not specify the number of reported cases or the particular polling units affected, but the allegations add to concerns often raised around election integrity in the country.
The CDD’s preliminary observations suggest that while the election was largely peaceful, the reported glitches and malpractices could still shape the narrative of the exercise. Further details from the centre may provide a clearer picture in the coming days.
