By Odita Sunday
The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has commended the people of Osun State for demonstrating courage and vigilance during Saturday’s governorship election, describing the poll as an important lesson for Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The rights group also praised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies for what it described as the largely peaceful, transparent and professional conduct of the election, despite the tense political atmosphere and reports of violence in parts of the state before the poll.
In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko, on Sunday, HURIWA said the ability of voters to turn out and exercise their franchise despite fears generated by pre-election violence represented a significant victory for democracy.
The organisation said the relative peace recorded during the election was particularly commendable against the backdrop of reports of killings and other violent incidents in the build-up to the poll.
HURIWA congratulated Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party on his victory and urged him to regard his re-election as a solemn contract with the people of Osun rather than merely a political triumph.
The Returning Officer, Joshua Ogunwole, declared Adeleke the winner with 511,067 votes, ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who polled 444,815 votes, while Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) came third with 17,180 votes.
HURIWA urged Adeleke to use his renewed mandate to extend a hand of reconciliation to his opponents and supporters of other political parties, stressing that governance after an election must serve the entire population.
“An election victory is not a licence to victimise political opponents. It is a mandate to serve even those who voted against you.
“Governor Adeleke must therefore rise above partisan considerations and demonstrate that the confidence placed in him by the people of Osun will translate into better governance, improved welfare, stronger institutions and respect for human rights,” the group said.
HURIWA said one of the most important lessons from the Osun election was the need for Nigeria to abandon the dangerous mentality that treats elections as matters of life and death.
“Election is not war. Politics is not warfare. Political opponents are not enemies, and the pursuit of public office cannot justify the shedding of innocent blood,” it said.
The organisation said reported killings and attacks before the election should serve as a warning to political parties and their supporters that elections could not continue to be conducted under an atmosphere of fear.
“No office in Nigeria is worth the life of one citizen. No political ambition is important enough to justify assassination, intimidation, arson, thuggery or communal violence,” HURIWA said.
It urged security agencies to investigate all reported cases of violence linked to the Osun election and ensure that perpetrators, irrespective of their political affiliation or social status, are brought to justice.
HURIWA, however, identified reported vote buying as one of the most disturbing blemishes on the electoral process.
The organisation warned that vote buying was becoming a major threat to Nigerian democracy because it transforms the constitutional right to vote into a financial transaction.
“Vote buying is electoral robbery disguised as generosity.
“It is an assault on the sovereignty of the people. It enables politicians with access to enormous financial resources to purchase influence and potentially convert poverty into an electoral weapon,” HURIWA said.
The group called on INEC, the Nigeria Police Force, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and other relevant agencies to investigate credible reports of vote buying during the election.
It also demanded the prosecution and appropriate punishment of electoral offenders found guilty, regardless of their political affiliation.
HURIWA said the fight against vote buying must extend beyond election day, urging law-enforcement agencies to trace the financial networks used to fund inducements and identify politicians and agents involved.
While commending INEC for its handling of the election, HURIWA urged the commission not to become complacent.
It said public confidence in elections remained fragile and could only be protected through continuous improvements in transparency, logistics, voter accreditation, result management and communication.
The organisation urged INEC to document the lessons from the Osun election and incorporate them into preparations for the 2027 general elections.
“The credibility of an election does not depend solely on what happens at the polling unit. It begins long before election day and continues until every legitimate complaint is resolved through lawful channels,” it said.
HURIWA also challenged security agencies to sustain the professionalism demonstrated during the Osun election.
It warned that security deployments must never be used to intimidate voters, harass political opponents or create an atmosphere of fear.
“The duty of the police and other security agencies is to protect the voter, protect the ballot and protect the integrity of the electoral process.
“They must not become instruments in the hands of political actors,” the organisation said.
HURIWA urged the security agencies to begin early preparations for the 2027 elections, particularly in areas identified as politically volatile.
The association called on political parties and candidates to commit themselves to non-violence and urged religious, traditional and community leaders to discourage young Nigerians from allowing themselves to be recruited as political thugs.
It also appealed to youths not to become instruments of destruction in the hands of politicians.
“Young Nigerians must refuse to die for politicians who will sit in fortified homes while they are sent into the streets to fight, kill and destroy,” HURIWA said.
The group urged law-enforcement agencies to expose and prosecute individuals who recruit or finance political thuggery.
It equally called on voters to resist attempts to manipulate them through ethnic sentiments, religious appeals, intimidation and financial inducements.
HURIWA said the Osun election should serve as a reference point for future elections, insisting that political power belongs to the people and must be exercised through free, peaceful and credible elections.
“Politicians are not the owners of Nigeria. They are temporary custodians of public power. The people are the sovereigns, and the ballot is their instrument of choice,” it said.
The organisation urged political leaders to accept electoral outcomes and seek redress through the courts where necessary rather than resorting to violence.
HURIWA said the 2027 elections must not become another season of bloodshed, vote buying, intimidation and impunity.
“The message from Osun must be clear: elections are not war; voters are not commodities; the ballot box is not a battlefield; and political power is never worth the blood of a Nigerian.
“We must build an electoral culture in which candidates compete fiercely on ideas, voters choose freely, electoral officials act impartially, security agencies remain neutral and losers accept defeat with dignity,” the group said.
HURIWA congratulated the people of Osun State on the conclusion of the governorship election and urged all political actors to embrace reconciliation, accountability and responsible governance.
The organisation also congratulated Governor Ademola Adeleke on his re-election and urged him to use his renewed mandate to deepen democratic governance, protect citizens’ rights and improve the welfare of the people of Osun State.
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