Osun poll: No election should be conducted in fear, SERAP seeks voter protection

SERAP, a Nigerian rights group, has warned against conducting elections in fear, calling for urgent action from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the Osun State governorship election on August 15, 2026. The organization has documented 56 politically related violent incidents and 14 fatalities in the state over the past year, with a significant spike in incidents reported in May and June alone.

SERAP urges INEC to identify, document, and publicly report these incidents, while taking preventive measures to protect voters, candidates, and other stakeholders. The group also urges INEC to refer credible allegations of electoral violence to the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant security agencies for investigation and prosecution, ensuring the constitutional rights to political participation, freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association are protected.

Brief written by urgent.news from Punch Nigeria's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.