Osun poll: Observer group identifies 17 violent incidents, 44 victims

An election observer group has reported 17 incidents of violence and over 44 victims during the Osun State governorship election held on August 15, 2026. The group, Kimpact Development Initiative, documented the incidents through its Election Day Data Room, which was set up to coordinate and analyze reports from accredited observers in the state.

KDI's Executive Director, Bukola Idowu, announced the findings at a post-election analysis conference in Abuja. The violence primarily occurred in Ejigbo, Osogbo, Ife East, Ilesa East, Irewole, Odo-Otin, Boripe, Ifelodun, Ila and Ola-Oluwa Local Government Areas, with the majority of incidents happening in Ejigbo and Osogbo. The most common forms of violence were gunshots, physical assaults, and intimidation, each accounting for 29.4% of the verified incidents.

Harassment was recorded in 11.8% of the incidents. Despite the violence, KDI noted that it was localized and did not lead to widespread disruption across the state. However, the group cautioned that the security situation remained a concern and warned of potential post-election violence and property destruction. KDI called on security and law enforcement authorities to promptly investigate the incidents, identify perpetrators, and prosecute those found guilty.

The organization also commended security agencies for their deployment and professionalism during the election but raised concerns over the performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, which successfully processed accreditation in 84.9% of observed cases.