The Civil Societies Coalition, under the aegis of the Liberation Movement of Nigeria (LMN) and Vanguard for Human Rights (VHR), has called for an independent investigation into alleged manipulation of the August 15, 2026 Osun State governorship election.
The coalition alleged that the election process was compromised through purported hacking of the Independent National Electoral Commission's (INEC) Result Viewing Portal (IReV), claiming that discrepancies existed between figures recorded on polling-unit result sheets and those subsequently transmitted to the portal.
The group made the allegations in a statement issued on Thursday by its lead activist, Comrade Ganiyu Abiola, and made available to journalists.
According to Abiola, the alleged manipulation occurred before and during the election, with purported hackers allegedly working in collaboration with some technical personnel of the electoral commission.
He claimed that figures contained in the physical election result sheets, including INEC Form EC8, differed from figures allegedly transmitted to the IReV platform, which, according to him, contributed to the declaration of Governor Ademola Adeleke as the winner of the election.
The coalition further alleged that individuals behind the purported hacking operation were based in neighbouring Oyo and Ondo states, where they allegedly coordinated their activities ahead of the election.
Abiola also alleged that results from some local government areas, including Ede North, Ede South and Egbedore, were allegedly tampered with.
The coalition subsequently called on security agencies and the international community to support an independent investigation into the allegations, saying such a probe would help establish whether the electoral process was compromised and identify those responsible if wrongdoing is established.
The group also said it was preparing a petition to relevant security agencies, urging them to investigate what it described as evidence of alleged hacking of the INEC system.
The coalition further alleged that a man identified as Mr. Seun Ilori had confessed to being part of the purported hacking operation. However, the allegation and the reported confession could not be independently verified by Oriontimes as of the time of filing this report.
The development comes amid continuing debate over the outcome of the August 15 governorship election, which was won by Governor Ademola Adeleke according to the declared results.
Meanwhile, former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, had earlier advised parties dissatisfied with the election outcome to seek legal redress through the appropriate electoral tribunal.
Fayose reportedly noted that the election was closely contested and cautioned against portraying any of the political parties that participated in the election as completely blameless.
Oriontimes could not independently verify the coalition's allegations of hacking or manipulation of election results. The allegations remain claims unless established by competent authorities or a court of law.
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