UK Congratulates Adeleke, Raises Concerns on Osun Poll

The United Kingdom congratulated Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, on his re-election but raised concerns regarding the integrity of the electoral process during the August 15 governorship election. Issues highlighted included alleged vote-buying, voter interference, and accessibility challenges for persons with disabilities and the elderly.

The British High Commission noted overcrowding at polling locations, attributed to the limited and slow deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS). While commending the peaceful participation of Osun State residents and the commitment of security personnel, the commission emphasized that the generally peaceful conduct of the election did not mitigate concerns about practices undermining electoral credibility.

The High Commission had deployed its own team of accredited observers and engaged with various stakeholders before the election. It called on relevant Nigerian institutions to learn from the identified shortcomings and referenced recommendations from civil society organizations to enhance public confidence and transparency ahead of the 2027 general election.