Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI) has announced the deployment of 389 observers and operational personnel across Osun State for the governorship election scheduled for Saturday, August 15, 2026.
The democracy, governance and civic technology organisation said the high-level election observation mission would be led by renowned human rights lawyer and KDI Board Chair, Associate Professor Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi.
KDI Executive Director, Bukola Idowu, who announced the deployment in a statement, said the mission would maintain a presence across the state’s 30 local government areas to independently monitor the electoral process and provide credible, evidence-based assessments of the poll.
According to him, the high-level team comprises national and international experts drawn from electoral administration, election security, democratic governance, public policy, media, political analysis and research.
Members include retired senior police officer and election security expert AIG Abutu Yaro Rtd; former Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Deputy Secretary and electoral administration specialist, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi; Professor of Political Science, Ernest Uchenna Ereke; senior broadcast journalist and media accountability expert, Maupe Ogun-Yusuf; Pan-African broadcaster and political communications professional, Vimbai Mutinhiri-Ekpenyong; and public policy analyst and veteran election observer, Babalola Olusola.
KDI said the mission was designed to strengthen public confidence in the electoral process, promote transparency and contribute to safeguarding electoral integrity in Osun State.
It added that the observation exercise would be guided by the principles of independence, impartiality, transparency, inclusion, accuracy, non-interference and the “do no harm” principle.
As part of efforts to keep citizens, the media and other stakeholders informed, KDI announced a series of public engagements, including an Election Day media briefing at 1 p.m. on August 15, a close-of-polls update at 6 p.m. the same day, and the release of a preliminary statement at 11 a.m. on August 16.
The organisation called on political parties, candidates, security agencies, INEC officials, the media, civil society organisations and citizens to conduct themselves responsibly and contribute to a peaceful, transparent and credible election.
It particularly urged political actors and their supporters to respect voters’ rights and refrain from violence, intimidation or other actions capable of undermining the electoral process.
Speaking on the mission, Akiyode-Afolabi said the deployment underscored KDI’s commitment to ensuring that citizens and stakeholders have access to credible and independently verified information on the conduct of the election.
“Our responsibility as election observers is not to determine the outcome of the election, but to independently observe, document and provide credible evidence on the electoral process,” she said.
“We are committed to ensuring that our findings are based on facts, verified information and the highest standards of professional election observation.”
Akiyode-Afolabi said the mission would maintain a statewide presence covering all 30 local government areas, 332 wards and 3,763 polling units, with observers tracking critical aspects of the electoral process.
These would include polling procedures, electoral security, information integrity, election finance, technology deployment, voter participation and results management.
Central to the operation is KDI’s Election Day Data Room (EDDR), which the organisation described as a secure, non-partisan information hub designed to receive reports from observers, conduct quality assurance and verification, maintain an auditable evidence register, monitor incidents, analyse trends and disseminate verified public information.
The Data Room is expected to commence operations on August 12 and remain active through the immediate post-election period.
KDI said reports received from the field would undergo quality assurance and verification before being used for public reporting.
Akiyode-Afolabi stressed that the observation mission would be strictly non-partisan and non-interventionist, explaining that KDI would neither administer the election nor certify its outcome.
She added that the organisation would not investigate electoral offences, direct security operations or endorse any political party or candidate.
According to her, all findings, assessments and public statements issued by the mission will be based exclusively on independently gathered, verified and documented evidence.
“Every vote must be treated with dignity, every electoral procedure must be conducted transparently, and every institution involved in the process must act in a manner that strengthens public confidence,” she said.
“Our role is to observe without interference, document without bias and report based on evidence.”
Akiyode-Afolabi described the Osun governorship election as another important opportunity to strengthen Nigeria’s democratic institutions, urging stakeholders to protect the integrity of the process through peaceful participation, professionalism, transparency and respect for the rule of law.
KDI, which has been active since 2014, has implemented programmes spanning election observation, election security, civic technology, citizen engagement, policy research and democratic reform.
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