Voting is currently underway across Osun State as residents head to polling units to elect the governor who will lead the state for the next four years. The election, being conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), is taking place across all 30 local government areas of the state.
A total of 2,339,233 registered voters are eligible for the election, with 1,906,390 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) collected ahead of the poll. Fifteen political parties are participating in the contest, following the inclusion of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) on the ballot after a court order.
The major battle is between incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress (ADC). Adeleke is seeking another term, while the APC is seeking to reclaim the state and the ADC is positioning itself as a major alternative in the contest.
Early reports indicate significant voter turnout in several polling locations, while electoral officials and security agencies continue to oversee the process. There have also been isolated incidents of tension at some polling units, underscoring concerns about security and the need for a peaceful election.
Meanwhile, election-monitoring organisation Yiaga Africa says it is deploying artificial intelligence and its Parallel Vote Tabulation (PVT) system to independently scrutinise results as they emerge. The organisation says the initiative is designed to strengthen transparency and provide an independent assessment of the final outcome.
The election is being closely watched beyond Osun, with observers describing it as an important test of Nigeria’s electoral institutions ahead of the 2027 general elections. Attention will now shift to counting, transmission and collation of results after voting ends.