The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured stakeholders that the August 15 Osun State governorship election will be free, fair, credible and inclusive, in line with the Constitution and the Electoral Act.

Osun Resident Electoral Commissioner, Oluwatoyin Babalola, gave the assurance on Thursday during a multi-stakeholder roundtable on legal compliance and electoral integrity organised by the New Generation Girls and Women Development Initiative in Osogbo.

Babalola said the commission remains committed to conducting a transparent election that reflects the will of the people, stressing that compliance with electoral laws is the strongest safeguard against malpractice.

“Electoral integrity is measured not only by the credibility of election procedures but also by the conduct of stakeholders before, during and after the election. Compliance with the law remains the strongest safeguard against electoral discrepancies,” he said.

He noted that some elections in Nigeria had been concluded without post-election petitions, expressing confidence that INEC would discharge its constitutional responsibilities with professionalism, neutrality and integrity.

“We remain committed to conducting an election that is free, fair, credible, transparent and inclusive. We will conduct an election that will reflect the will of the people of Osun,” Babalola added.

Earlier, Executive Director of the New Generation Girls and Women Development Initiative and South-West Coordinator of the Youth Electoral Reform Project, Abimbola Aladejare-Salako, said the forum was convened to review lessons from the recent Ekiti governorship election and identify measures to strengthen transparency and inclusiveness ahead of the Osun poll.

She noted that while the Ekiti election recorded significant improvements, it also exposed operational, legal and administrative challenges that require attention before the Osun governorship election.