BRITISH HIGH COMMISSION STATEMENT ON THE 2026 OSUN STATE GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION

British High Commission Abuja

BRITISH HIGH COMMISSION STATEMENT ON THE 2026 OSUN STATE GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION

17 August 2026

The British High Commission commends the people of Osun State for their peaceful and active participation in the 15 August 2026 governorship election and congratulates Governor Ademola Adeleke on his re-election.

The British High Commission met with a range of stakeholders in advance of election day and deployed its own team of accredited observers. Based on their observations, and consistent with the findings of credible independent observer groups with wider deployments across the state, we welcome several encouraging signs of a positive democratic process.

This includes the opening of polls as scheduled in many locations, the commitment of security personnel to maintaining order, and the effective implementation of electoral procedures by INEC officials. Most of all, we were encouraged by the patience, resilience and participation demonstrated by voters throughout the day.

We note reports of isolated incidents that generated tension before and during the electoral process and the significant remaining challenge of voter interference, including vote-buying, across party lines. We also note continued issues with access for people with disabilities and for elderly people, as well as overcrowding due to the speed and limited provision of BVAS devices for accreditation.

We encourage the relevant institutions to review these issues carefully and to draw lessons — including from the recommendations of credible organisations like the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room — that strengthen public confidence, transparency and accountability.

As Nigeria looks ahead to the 2027 general elections, we note that off-cycle elections benefit from the availability of additional personnel and resources that may be more difficult to replicate at nationwide scale. We nevertheless hope that the experience of the Osun election will help inform further improvements that strengthen the integrity, inclusiveness and credibility of future electoral processes.

The United Kingdom remains committed to working with Nigeria’s electoral institutions, civil society and other partners to support peaceful, transparent, inclusive and credible
elections, and to strengthen the democratic institutions that underpin them.