Osun election vigilance a template for 2027 polls, say activists

Voters in Nigeria's Osun state have set a powerful precedent for democratic vigilance, with their actions during the recent governorship election drawing widespread praise and calls for national emulation.

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Drop that phone, you are carrying our votes and you are receiving calls. We are following you and monitoring you, end that call now.

Videos circulated online showing residents of Ward Okerewe 3, Ife East Local Government Area, escorting a bus carrying election results on motorcycles. Their immediate intervention when the driver was seen using his phone highlighted their determination to safeguard the ballot. Another video captured a large crowd of citizens at the INEC collation center in Osogbo at 2:00 AM, demonstrating their commitment to overseeing the vote counting process and ensuring their votes were accurately tallied.

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The reported vigilance of voters in Osun State is a welcome development and a powerful reminder that democracy is not sustained by institutions alone; it also depends on the active participation of citizens.

Following the declaration of incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke as the winner, activists, lawyers, and other stakeholders have urged Nigerians to adopt the Osun voters' resilience and vigilance for the upcoming 2027 general election. They described the Osun experience as a "signal to tyrants" and a "profound lesson in collective action," emphasizing that such oversight must remain peaceful and lawful.

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When citizens become sufficiently conscious of the value of their votes and are prepared to lawfully monitor the electoral process, it becomes considerably more difficult for individuals or institutions to subvert the people’s mandate.

Professor Benjamin Okaba, former President of the Ijaw National Congress, hailed the Osun voters' actions as a "profound lesson in citizenship and collective action." He stressed that democracy relies not only on institutions but also on active citizen participation. When citizens value their votes and actively monitor the electoral process, he noted, it becomes significantly harder to subvert the people's mandate. Okaba underscored that casting a ballot is just one part of the election; protecting its integrity is another crucial stage that requires voters to understand the procedures and outcomes.

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The reported actions of Osun voters demonstrate an important principle: casting a ballot is only one stage of the electoral process; protecting the integrity of that ballot is another.