Voting in the Osun governorship election has moved into the counting phase at some polling units, while voting is still ongoing or being completed at others.
Reports from Nigerian newsrooms alongside social-media signals, particularly X, paints a picture of mixed situation: strong voter turnout and largely orderly voting in many areas, but significant complaints over BVAS, vote-buying allegations and isolated incidents of violence/intimidation.
The big picture
INEC reported that 3,556 of Osun’s 3,763 polling units — 94.5% — had opened by 8:30 a.m. The remaining 207 units experienced opening delays but were reported operational by 9 a.m.
The election is being conducted across all 30 local government areas, with about 2.3 million registered voters and 15 candidates in the race.
By early afternoon, reports from Ilesa, Osogbo, Ila-Orangun and other locations indicated substantial voter turnout. APC figures including Babatunde Ayeni and Senator Francis Fadahunsi praised turnout and what they described as peaceful conduct in several locations.
Most importantly, sorting and counting had begun by about 2:50 p.m. in some polling units in Ilesa West and Ejigbo LGAs, meaning the election has already entered the first stage of result generation at some locations.
DEVELOPING: Violence and disruption
The most serious incident reported so far occurred at the polling unit of ADC governorship candidate Najeem Salaam in Ejigbo.
According to The Nation, suspected thugs disrupted voting at Unit 003, Iroyin Ayo Open Space, Ward 004, shortly after Salaam and his wife voted. Voters, INEC officials, observers and journalists reportedly fled as tension escalated. DSS and NSCDC personnel subsequently arrived.
By the latest account available, voting at that particular polling unit had been halted, with uncertainty over whether it would resume.
Channels Television separately reported violence at Polling Unit 13, Ward 4, Ejigbo, following an allegation that a youth had discovered materials allegedly connected to vote-buying. The report says voting stopped as INEC officials and residents sought safety. The allegation about ownership of the materials has not been independently established, so it should be treated as an allegation rather than fact.
Modakeke also raises concern
Governor Ademola Adeleke has alleged that voters were tear-gassed in Modakeke and Oba Ogun, describing the incidents as intimidation. AIT reported the governor’s allegation, but this should similarly be distinguished from an independently established account of what happened.
The wider security picture is therefore not uniformly peaceful, despite the largely calm reports from many other parts of the state.
BVAS is emerging as one of the day’s biggest problems
One of the clearest recurring complaints on the ground is slow accreditation caused by BVAS problems.
At Ojude Ala I polling unit in Ila Local Government, The Nation reported repeated BVAS malfunction. The unit has 342 registered voters, but only about 75 had been accredited and voted by 12:40 p.m., roughly 22% of the electorate at that unit.
An even more striking situation was reported at Secretariat Polling Unit 013 in Ila-Orangun, where 1,133 registered voters were reportedly sharing one BVAS machine. The resulting crowd became rowdy, with voters complaining about the slow process.
This is potentially important for turnout: where voting started late or BVAS processing is slow, voters may have to remain at polling units much longer than anticipated.
But turnout has been impressive in several areas
The strongest positive signal from the field so far is voter mobilisation.
Channels reported voters arriving early to inspect the pasted register, with some locations seeing people assemble before voting commenced.
At one polling unit in Ila-Orangun, 942 registered voters were reportedly on the register and turnout was described as robust, although crowd control became difficult.
APC chieftains speaking to NAN in Ilesa, Ibokun and Ilase-Ijesa also described turnout as impressive and the atmosphere as peaceful.
Former Osun Speaker Adejare Bello similarly described voting in his area as smooth and peaceful, saying he had not observed serious disturbances at the polling units he monitored.
Bottom line: turnout appears stronger than the voter-apathy fears that surrounded the election, although the final turnout percentage cannot yet be known.
Major candidates have voted
Ademola Adeleke — Accord
Governor Ademola Adeleke and his wife voted at Unit 9, Ward 2, Sagba Abogunde, Ede North, arriving at about 8:39 a.m.
After voting, Adeleke alleged attempts by the APC to manipulate the election and raised complaints about alleged intimidation.
Bola Oyebamiji — APC
APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji voted at Polling Unit 11, Ward 9, Open Space, Gantry Sawmill, Irewole LGA, Ikire, at about 10:35 a.m. He was reportedly met by a large crowd.
Najeem Salaam — ADC
ADC candidate Najeem Salaam voted at his Ejigbo polling unit before the subsequent disruption there.
Adegboyega Oyetola
Former governor and Minister of Marine and Blue Economy Adegboyega Oyetola, alongside his wife, voted at Ward 1, Unit 10, Iragbiji, Boripe LGA, at around 10:30 a.m.
Rauf Aregbesola
Former governor Rauf Aregbesola, now National Secretary of the ADC, also voted in Ilesa and was greeted by supporters at his polling unit.