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The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate alleged electoral offences linked to the 2026 Osun State governorship election.
In a statement posted on X on Sunday, SERAP urged the three agencies to “urgently, jointly and transparently investigate reported cases of vote-buying, financial inducement, illegal election financing, voter intimidation, violence, misuse of public resources and other electoral offences” connected to the poll.
The organisation also called for independent scrutiny of the election by regional and international bodies, including the African Union (AU), ECOWAS, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and relevant United Nations human-rights mechanisms.
It further urged the authorities to trace the sources and movement of funds allegedly used for vote-buying and other unlawful electoral activities.
According to the organisation, investigators should identify “those who provided, authorised, distributed, financed or facilitated the alleged conduct.”
SERAP also called for the preservation and examination of financial and digital evidence that could establish whether electoral offences occurred.
It specifically urged the authorities to examine “banking and mobile-money records, telecommunications data, CCTV and video footage, polling-unit records and other documentary and digital evidence.”
The organisation further called on the agencies to “investigate, promptly arrest and, where appropriate, prosecute persons reasonably suspected of electoral, corruption or other criminal offences, including those who financed or facilitated the alleged conduct.”
SERAP’s call comes a day after Osun voters went to the polls to elect a governor for the 2026-2030 term.
The election featured incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party and APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji as the leading contenders among the 14 candidates cleared to run.
The Independent National Electoral Commission declared Adeleke the winner after he secured 511,067 votes, defeating Oyebamiji, who polled 444,815 votes.
Adeleke’s victory extends his tenure following his first election in 2022. In that election, he contested on the Peoples Democratic Party platform and defeated then-incumbent APC governor Gboyega Oyetola with 403,371 votes to Oyetola’s 375,027.
“The legitimacy and credibility of the Osun State election result ultimately depend upon whether voters were genuinely able to freely exercise their right to participation and political choice,” it said.
SERAP added that “where voters are allegedly induced with money or other benefits, threatened with violence, intimidated, obstructed or otherwise coerced, serious questions arise as to whether the Osun election reflected the free and genuine will of the electorate.”
BREAKING: We’ve urged @inecnigeria , @officialEFCC and @icpcnigeria to urgently, jointly and transparently investigate reported cases of vote-buying, financial inducement, illegal election financing, voter intimidation, violence, misuse of public resources and other electoral…
— SERAP (@SERAPNigeria) August 16, 2026
