TMG commends INEC, urges judiciary to protect mandate

The Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) has lauded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its efforts in conducting the Osun State election, particularly highlighting the absence of major technical issues and the real-time uploading of results. The TMG, in a statement signed by its Chairman Auwal Rafsanjani, also urged the judiciary to safeguard the electoral mandates granted by the people.

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INEC deserves commendation where it gets things right. The Osun experience demonstrates that the commission is capable of conducting a transparent electoral process, particularly through the effective deployment of technology and real-time results transmission.

The group acknowledged the election as an opportunity for Nigerians to recognize improvements in the electoral process. However, it emphasized the ongoing need to demand greater transparency, accountability, and professionalism from INEC. The TMG specifically called on the courts to ensure that electoral litigation strengthens, rather than undermines, the sanctity of the ballot, and does not become a tool for overturning the electorate's will through technicalities or manipulation.

Osun voters were also commended for their resilience and peaceful participation despite reported incidents of vote buying, intimidation, and harassment. The TMG pointed to the Osun election, along with recent governorship elections in other states, as encouraging evidence that peaceful elections and the prevalence of democracy are possible when electoral processes are credible and voter will is respected.

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At the same time, Nigerians must continue to demand improvements and hold the commission accountable where it falls short.

While commending INEC for its successes, especially in technology deployment and timely results transmission, the TMG stressed that blame for electoral malpractice should not automatically fall on the commission. It highlighted that politicians and their supporters often drive such violations, and these actors must be held accountable. The group concluded that while INEC deserves praise for getting things right, citizens must continue to demand improvements and hold the commission accountable when it falls short.

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The group urged the courts to ensure that electoral litigation strengthened, rather than undermined, the sanctity of the ballot and did not become an avenue for overturning the genuine will of the electorate through technicalities, procedural manipulation or politically motivated litigation.