YIAGA Africa, an Election monitoring agency yesterday commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies for their efforts in ensuring a credible election process.

INEC had declared Ademola Adeleke of People’s Democratic Party PDP as the winner of the Osun Governorship Election keenly contested yesterday having defeated the incumbent Governor Gboyega Oyetola of All Progressives Congress APC.

Yiaga though faulted some recorded skemishes and violence raging from vote buying and selling disclosed that despite all odds, the exercise was credible saying there was need for improvement by INEC and political actors against vote buying syndrome.

The Board Chairman of Yiaga Africa, Dr Hussaini Abdu stated this at a press conference addressed after the declaration of Adeleke as winner of Osun Governorship Election.

We commended INEC for the significant improvement in logistics management for the Osun 2022 governorship election”.

Dr Abdu said the personnel and essential materials, such as the Voter Register, BVAS, voting cubicles and ballot boxes, were deployed early in most of the polling units.

He condemned the cases of violence and disruption of the voting and results collation process by thugs and hoodlums, especially the violence targeted at NYSC members and INEC staff. Although these cases are isolated, they undermine Nigeria’s electoral reform project.

“Yiaga Africa extends its wishes to polling officials who suffered severe injuries due to attacks and violence against polling officials. and a thorough investigation into these cases of attack and intimidation against polling units

“We commended the people of Osun for largely conducting themselves peacefully through the election day voting and counting process. also commends INEC and the security agencies for ensuring the voters in Osun exercised their franchise in a transparent and secure environment.