By George Mgbeleke

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Nigeria Police Force, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), political parties and their agents that the Saturday August 15th 2026 Osun State governorship election must not be turned into another theatre of electoral violence, intimidation, vote-buying and institutional manipulation.

In a statement signed by the group national coordinator,Comrade Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko,HURIWA insists that there must be zero tolerance for armed thuggery, ballot snatching, vote-buying, voter intimidation, harassment of opposition supporters and every other form of electoral criminality before, during and after the election.

The rights group is particularly concerned about the conduct of security and law-enforcement agencies. The Police and EFCC must convince Nigerians that they are institutions of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and not enforcement arms of the ruling APC or any other political party.

HURIWA will not accept a situation in which security agencies selectively arrest, intimidate or harass members and supporters of opposition parties while political actors aligned with the government are allowed to operate with impunity.

INEC MUST NOT FAIL NIGERIANS AGAIN

HURIWA calls on INEC to understand the enormous responsibility before it. The Osun election is not merely another off-cycle election; it is a critical test of whether the commission’s current leadership is genuinely committed to conducting elections in which the votes of Nigerians count.

INEC must therefore demonstrate absolute independence, transparency, professionalism and impartiality throughout the process.

The commission must ensure that every eligible voter is allowed to vote without fear or intimidation and that the collation and declaration of results are conducted in accordance with the law.

Most importantly, the electorate must not be shut out of the results-transmission process.

HURIWA demands maximum transparency in the electronic transmission and publication of polling-unit results. Nigerians must be able to monitor the movement of results from polling units through the various stages of collation.

Any attempt to create an opaque results-management system will inevitably fuel suspicion and undermine confidence in the election.

OSUN MUST NOT BECOME A TESTING GROUND FOR ELECTORAL MANIPULATION

HURIWA warns political actors against turning Osun State into a battlefield for political desperation.

The organisation will strongly oppose any attempt by politicians to deploy armed thugs, state-sponsored intimidation, financial inducement or security agencies to subvert the will of the people.

Political power must come from the ballot box and not from the barrel of a gun, bags of money or the manipulation of electoral institutions.

We therefore call on all political parties and candidates to sign up to peaceful and transparent elections and to reject violence before their supporters reject democracy itself.

THE 2027 QUESTION STARTS IN OSUN

HURIWA considers the Osun election a major litmus test for INEC ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Nigerians are watching the current Chairman and National Commissioners of INEC closely. The manner in which the commission handles Osun will significantly shape public confidence in its preparedness and willingness to conduct credible presidential, governorship and legislative elections in 2027.

If INEC cannot guarantee transparency in an off-cycle election, Nigerians will understandably question its capacity to conduct a credible nationwide election.

The commission must therefore use Osun to demonstrate that Nigeria’s electoral democracy is moving forward, not backwards.

HURIWA demands that:

– INEC guarantees a transparent, credible, free and fair election.
– The Police and EFCC maintain strict political neutrality.
– Security agencies protect voters rather than intimidate them.
– Vote-buying and financial inducement are aggressively prosecuted.
– Armed thugs and electoral criminals are arrested and prosecuted irrespective of political affiliation.
– Polling-unit results are transparently transmitted and made accessible to the electorate.
– Political parties respect the rules and commit to peaceful conduct.
– No candidate or political party is allowed to manipulate state institutions for electoral advantage.

HURIWA will not be deceived by cosmetic assurances of electoral neutrality.

The people of Osun State have the constitutional right to freely choose their leaders, and nobody — whether politician, security officer or electoral official — has the right to steal that choice from them.

Anything short of a transparent, credible, free and fair election in Osun State will be a dangerous assault on Nigeria’s democracy and will be rejected by Nigerians.

By Our Correspondent

As the nation awaits the conduct of Osun State governorship election this Saturday, state Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has called on the Inspector General of Police, Tunji Disu to arrest and prosecute the Senator representing Osun Central, Francis Fadahunsi over killing of Accord Party.

A viral video sighted by Daily Champion in which the lawmaker was allegedly heard calling for the killing of Accord Party leaders, supporters and their family members ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.

Addressing newsmen on Tuesday, during an emergency press briefing in Osogbo, Adeleke raised concerns over alleged security operations against Accord Party leaders ahead of the August 15 governorship election.

“The viral video of a serving Senator, Francis Fadahunsi, who today called for the killing of Accord Party leaders, supporters and their families. In the video, the Senator even threatened that where they cannot get Accord Party leaders, they should kill their wives and children.

“This is now beyond politics. This is now a national security threat that requires the attention of Mr President through the Office of the National Security Adviser.

“We demand that the IGP enforce due process and fair policing by aborting all anti-people plots against democracy in Osun State.

“We finally request that the police and other security agencies should act in line with the rule of law and their oath of office before, during and after these coming elections,” he said.

Reacting to the incident, Fadahunsi, refuted the narratives, stressing that the remark was a political metaphor urging APC supporters to defeat the Accord Party at the ballot box.

He added that, “What I have told my people is that that between now and the day of elections, my people should come out en masse and kill with votes.”

By George Mgbelele

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has declared that residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have become unwilling victims of what appears to be an increasingly exploitative electricity distribution regime, warning that the continued silence of regulatory authorities is emboldening practices that are pushing ordinary families deeper into poverty.

The prominent Pro-democracy and civil rights advocacy group said the torrent of complaints from electricity consumers across Abuja over the drastic reduction in prepaid electricity units for the same amount of money is a national scandal that demands immediate presidential intervention.
It is outrageous that while the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) publicly maintains that it has not approved any tariff increase, thousands of Abuja residents continue to receive significantly fewer electricity units for the same payments they made only weeks ago.
This glaring contradiction cannot simply be wished away.
Either someone is misleading Nigerians, or consumers are being subjected to arbitrary charges under the cover of a system that lacks transparency and accountability.

For HURIWA, both possibilities are unacceptable.
The association said Abuja residents are no longer merely battling epileptic power supply—they are now paying premium prices for darkness.
“It is unconscionable that an average household running nothing more than a refrigerator, a few fans and light bulbs now spends as much as ₦45,000 on electricity credits that disappear within days without any convincing explanation. Nigerians are being compelled to pay more for less, while those charged with protecting consumers appear content to watch from the sidelines.”

HURIWA accused AEDC of failing the basic test of public accountability by refusing to provide satisfactory explanations to consumers over the persistent complaints of disappearing prepaid units.
The association also faulted NERC for not acting with the urgency expected of a regulator whose primary statutory responsibility is to protect electricity consumers from unfair and opaque market practices.

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), HURIWA said, is doing so well in checking the exploitation of Nigerians by service providers in the financial, telecoms, and retail marketing services but that active institutional must equally up the ante and broaden its constitutional responsibility to save electricity consumers who are shortchanged. Consumer rights do not end at supermarkets, airlines and telecommunications companies. Electricity consumers deserve the same vigorous protection against alleged exploitation.

HURIWA warned that monopoly has become the greatest enemy of efficiency in Abuja’s electricity market.
“When one company dominates electricity distribution without effective competition, consumers become captives. They complain but no one listens. They pay more but receive less. They suffer blackouts yet continue to receive outrageous bills. That is not service delivery; it is consumer helplessness.”
The association questioned the much-publicised electricity subsidy being touted by government.
“If Nigerians are supposedly enjoying electricity subsidies, why are households spending unprecedented sums on electricity despite receiving fewer units and poorer service? Where exactly is this subsidy going? Nigerians deserve honest answers.”
HURIWA called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to direct an immediate, independent forensic investigation into AEDC’s prepaid metering and billing architecture to determine whether consumers are being subjected to arbitrary deductions or other irregularities.
The association further demanded that:
AEDC immediately publish a detailed explanation for the reported reduction in prepaid electricity units.
NERC conduct a transparent public investigation and publish its findings without delay.
FCCPC commence an inquiry into allegations of exploitative consumer practices within the Abuja electricity market.
Consumers found to have been overbilled or unfairly charged be fully refunded and compensated.
Smart metering and billing systems be subjected to independent periodic audits accessible to the public.
HURIWA also urged the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to urgently establish alternative electricity supply arrangements by leveraging the powers available under Nigeria’s reformed electricity sector. Abuja must no longer remain at the mercy of a single distribution company.
Competition—not monopoly—is the antidote to inefficiency, arbitrary pricing and poor service delivery.
The association vowed to continue mobilising consumers and engaging all lawful democratic channels until Abuja residents begin to receive what they pay for: reliable electricity, transparent billing and respect for their rights as citizens.
Nigerians are tired of paying for darkness. The era of unexplained charges, shrinking prepaid units and regulatory silence must end.