The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum has backed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the conduct of the August 15, 2026 Osun State governorship election, while calling for stronger electoral reforms ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement signed by its Convener, Mallam Kabiru Yusuf, the forum said the peaceful conduct of the poll had helped restore confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process and commended voters, political parties and security agencies for their roles.
The group specifically commended INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, saying his leadership had come at a critical time when public confidence in the electoral system required reinforcement.
“The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum commends Prof. Joash Amupitan and the entire leadership of INEC for the professionalism demonstrated in the Osun governorship election,” Yusuf said.
The forum also praised the people of Osun State for exercising their democratic rights and security agencies for maintaining order and stability before, during and after the election.
It said the Osun election demonstrated the importance of cooperation among INEC, voters, political parties and security agencies in protecting the integrity of elections.
According to the group, INEC’s emphasis on neutrality, transparency, security and compliance with the Electoral Act contributed to creating conditions for a peaceful electoral contest.
“The peaceful turnout of voters is particularly significant because democracy cannot survive where citizens are intimidated, attacked or prevented from freely choosing their leaders,” the forum said.
Despite its commendation, the Arewa youths urged INEC and other electoral stakeholders not to regard the Osun election as the end of the reform process.
Instead, it called for lessons from the election to be used as a basis for deeper reforms ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The forum said any shortcomings identified during the exercise should be documented and urgently addressed to prevent their recurrence in future elections.
The group maintained that sustained public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral system would require continued transparency, institutional independence and strict enforcement of electoral rules.
It said the credibility of future elections would ultimately depend on whether citizens could cast their votes freely and whether their votes were accurately reflected in the final results.
The forum’s comments followed the August 15 Osun governorship election, which it described as a significant test of Nigeria’s electoral process.
