The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has described the 2026 Osun State governorship election as generally peaceful and orderly, but raised concerns over the performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in some polling units.
The assessment was contained in a preliminary report on the election signed by Festus Okoye, Chairman of the NBA Election Working Group, and dated August 16, 2026. The NBA said its observers recorded early deployment of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials and materials, orderly conduct of voters, responsible behaviour by party agents and visible security presence across the areas covered.
The report said election activities commenced between 8:30am and 9am in several polling units, while the security situation was generally satisfactory, with no significant security incidents recorded in the locations observed.
It, however, identified BVAS functionality, processing speed and operational capacity as the major challenges encountered during the exercise.
The NBA said some voters experienced difficulties with fingerprint and facial recognition, with elderly voters particularly affected in some locations.
It said some polling units recorded slow BVAS processing, while at least one polling unit in Egbedore Local Government Area experienced a complete stoppage of the device after it had initially processed some voters.
The association also observed that some polling units had more than 1,000 registered voters, putting pressure on the accreditation process. In some locations, insufficient personnel and limited network challenges further contributed to delays.
Despite the challenges, the report said voter participation was encouraging in several locations, with particularly strong turnout recorded in parts of Ede North, Ede South and Ilesa East.
‘Overall, voter participation was encouraging and reflected continued public interest in the electoral process,’ the report said.
On security, the association said the overall situation was satisfactory, noting the presence of the police, Armed Forces and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) at several polling units.
It said no major security incidents were recorded in the areas observed, although a minor disruption occurred in Ife South Local Government Area and was brought under control by security personnel.
However, the observers reported cases of vote buying, voter inducement and other electoral malpractices in some locations.
The NBA urged INEC to conduct a comprehensive post-election review of the BVAS and upgrade the machines ahead of the 2027 general elections and recommended comprehensive pre-election testing of the devices, adequate deployment of BVAS based on the number of registered voters, improved technical support and better training for election officials.
The association also called for the creation of additional polling units, saying no polling unit should have more than 500 registered voters ahead of the 2027 elections, while units with slightly higher numbers should receive additional equipment and personnel.
It further urged INEC to relocate polling units situated in unsuitable places, including markets, derelict buildings and corridors of private residences.