Politics
Osun Guber: INEC seeks solutions to voter apathy
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has called for stronger collaboration among stakeholders to address voter apathy ahead of the 2026 Osun State governorship election, describing the poll as a crucial test before the 2027 General Elections.
The call was made by National Commissioner and Chairman of The Electoral Institute, TEI, Professor Kunle Ajayi, in his opening address during a policy dialogue organised on the theme, ‘Voter Apathy and Prospects for Improved Voter Turnout: The 2026 Osun Gubernatorial Election in Perspective’, on Thursday in Osogbo.
Represented by the Osun INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, Oluwatoyin Babalola, Ajayi described the forthcoming governorship election as the final off-cycle governorship poll before the 2027 General Elections, saying its outcome and lessons would play a significant role in shaping INEC’s preparations for the nationwide elections.
He said,” Citizens’ participation remained central to electoral integrity. Democracy becomes stronger when voters actively participate in the electoral process. Elections provide citizens with the opportunity to exercise their sovereignty by choosing those who occupy public offices.
“The rate of voter turnout remains a concern to the Commission, and this dialogue provides an opportunity to engage with stakeholders on how to reverse the prevailing trend.”
He noted that the recent governorship election in Ekiti State recorded encouraging improvements in voter participation and electoral quality, adding that INEC was determined to ensure that Osun achieved even greater progress.
He urged participants to offer practical, evidence-based recommendations capable of improving voter turnout ahead of the election.
Ajayi also described the dialogue as another effort by INEC to bring together election administrators, academics, civil society organisations, development partners, security agencies, political parties, the media and other stakeholders to address challenges surrounding voter turnout and democratic participation.
In his goodwill message, Acting Director-General of TEI, Professor Ibrahim Sani, identified voter apathy as a major challenge to democracy in Nigeria.
Represented by Aishat Usman Jimoh, Deputy Director, Research and Documentation Department, TEI, Sani said the Osun election would provide an opportunity to examine the causes of low voter participation while generating practical solutions that could benefit future elections.
“Addressing voter apathy requires collective efforts from election managers, political parties, security agencies, the media, civil society organisations and citizens,” he said.
He expressed confidence that recommendations from the dialogue would contribute to a successful Osun governorship election and provide valuable lessons for the 2027 General Elections.
Speaking separately, Osun Resident Electoral Commissioner, Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the credibility of any democratic election depended not only on the conduct of the poll but also on the willingness of eligible citizens to vote.
She noted that “despite improvements in voter registration and electoral reforms, voter turnout had continued to decline across Nigeria, including Osun State”.
Babalola attributed the trend to “declining public trust in political leadership, economic hardship, misinformation, security concerns, youth disengagement and accessibility challenges affecting rural communities and Persons with Disabilities”.
She maintained that although INEC had introduced reforms such as Continuous Voter Registration, improved voter education, technological innovations, enhanced logistics and stronger stakeholder engagement, greater collaboration was required to increase participation.
She urged political parties to conduct peaceful, issue-based campaigns while calling on security agencies, traditional rulers, religious leaders, civil society organisations, educational institutions, youth and women groups, development partners and the media to intensify voter mobilisation and civic education.
While appealing to all stakeholders to reject violence, vote-buying, hate speech and misinformation, she reaffirmed that the commission is committed to a credible process, Babalola said INEC would conduct the August 15, 2026 Osun governorship election in compliance with the Constitution, the Electoral Act and the Commission’s regulations.
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The Zamfara State chapter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has insisted that a Federal High Court judgment delivered on April 29, 2026, remains valid and must be obeyed until a higher court decides otherwise.
In a statement issued in Gusau by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Abdulkareem Umar, the ADC dismissed claims questioning the ruling and the party’s leadership in the state.
The party said Senator David Mark had appealed the judgment and also applied for a stay of execution. However, it said the application for a stay was not granted, while the Court of Appeal had already fixed a date to hear the appeal.
Quoting the statement, the party said: “The Federal High Court judgment remains valid, subsisting and binding on all parties unless and until it is set aside by a competent appellate court. No individual, group or political interest can lawfully vacate, nullify or disregard the judgment except through the legally recognised appeal process. Court orders must be obeyed while they remain in force.”
The ADC explained that, under Nigerian law, filing an appeal is different from applying for a stay of execution. It also warned that filing multiple appeals over the same judgment could amount to an abuse of court process.
On the leadership dispute, the party said a valid state congress was held in line with its constitution, leading to the election of Alhaji Kabiru Garba Gusau and other members of the State Executive Committee.
It said the current executive would serve until April 12, 2031.
The statement added that the executive’s authority came from a properly conducted congress and not from a caretaker committee.
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The Nigerian Democratic Congress, NDC, presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has declared that the 2027 election is between Nigerians and President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Obi made the remark while reiterating that he won the 2023 presidential election but it was rigged.
In an online viral video, the former Anambra State governor insisted that leadership is missing in Nigeria.
He said: “You know that I won that election and it was rigged but that is not a problem. It’s my believe that the next election is between Nigerians and the government in office because the public has had enough and they are determined that things have to change.
“We have sacrificed everything and it’s not working. It’s time to understand that one thing is missing, which is leadership.
“Nigerians will decide, so they will be the ones to say what is happening and I believe that they have learnt their lessons and they will find a way.
“For me, the desperation is to see Nigeria work. I’m not desperate to be president but I want to create a society where the children of Nigerians will have hope, where a child of a nobody can be anybody without anything. So for me, it’s important and we must make it work because we have had enough.”
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Lagos State Deputy Governor and All Progressives Congress, APC, 2027 governorship candidate, Obafemi Hamzat, has said he has never met or talked to his running mate, Damilola Sonayon-James, before the party chose her for the role.
Hamzat shared this revelation during the public showing of “Who Is She?” At the Syrian Club Event Centre in Ikoyi area of the state.
He said that the choice of his deputy governorship candidate was made after discussions within the Lagos APC, following President Bola Tinubu’s request for the state chapter to select the candidate.
Hazmat said he suggested that the running mate should be a young woman, and the President agreed with that idea.
According to Hamzat, the president called and suggested that the matter be resolved.
He said: “The president called me and said, ‘You guys go and sort it out.’ I said, ‘Sir, I think it should be a female.’ He said, ‘It’s okay.’ I said, ‘It should be young.’ He said, ‘It’s okay.”
The APC governorship candidate said the party also took into account the state’s zoning plan when making their decision.
He said since he hails from Lagos East and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu is from Lagos Central, people expected the deputy governor position to go to Lagos West.
Hamzat said he didn’t have a personal connection with Sonayon-James before she became the party’s deputy governorship candidate.
“Until Damilola was chosen, I didn’t know her phone number. I got her phone number from somebody,” he said.
He said that Sonayon-James, who is the deputy woman leader of the Lagos APC and comes from Badagry, was picked based on her abilities.
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