The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has raised the alarm over possible violence, vote-buying and institutional manipulation ahead of Saturday’s Osun State governorship election, warning security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against actions capable of undermining the credibility of the poll.
The rights group, in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, on Friday, demanded strict neutrality from the Police and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), insisting that the agencies must not be used to intimidate opposition supporters or provide electoral advantage to any political party.
HURIWA said the election should not become another battleground for armed thuggery, ballot snatching, voter intimidation and financial inducement, stressing that the people of Osun must be allowed to freely determine who governs them.
The organisation particularly challenged INEC to demonstrate its independence through the transparent conduct of the election, describing the poll as an important test of public confidence in the commission ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to HURIWA, every eligible voter must be allowed to cast a ballot without fear, while the collation and declaration of results must be conducted strictly in accordance with the law.
The group also placed particular emphasis on the management of election results, demanding transparency in the electronic transmission and publication of polling-unit results.
It warned that any attempt to operate an opaque results-management system could trigger suspicion and further weaken confidence in the electoral process.
HURIWA said security agencies must protect voters and polling officials rather than intimidate them, while electoral offenders should be arrested and prosecuted regardless of their political affiliation.
“Political power must come from the ballot box and not from the barrel of a gun, bags of money or the manipulation of electoral institutions,” the group said.
It urged political parties and candidates to publicly commit to peaceful conduct and restrain their supporters from acts capable of disrupting the election.
HURIWA described Saturday’s election as more than an off-cycle contest, saying its conduct would offer an early indication of what Nigerians should expect from INEC and security agencies during the 2027 general elections.
The group warned that failure to guarantee transparency in Osun would raise serious questions about the commission’s preparedness to conduct credible presidential, governorship and legislative elections next year.
It therefore called on INEC to use the election to demonstrate that Nigeria’s electoral democracy was moving forward rather than backwards.
“The people of Osun State have the constitutional right to freely choose their leaders, and nobody—whether politician, security officer or electoral official—has the right to steal that choice from them,” HURIWA said.
The rights group warned that any attempt to manipulate the outcome of the election would amount to an assault on Nigeria’s democracy, urging all institutions and political actors to allow the votes of Osun residents to determine the result.