The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Osun State, Dr. Mutiu Agboke, reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to engaging all non-governmental organizations actively involved in the electoral process.
Dr. Agboke, speaking during a courtesy visit by the leadership of the Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI) to the INEC state office in Osogbo on Tuesday, the 9th of December, 2025, praised the organization. He stated that KDI has consistently served as a vital platform for clearly explaining electoral matters to the public.
He acknowledged that KDI’s contributions have been significant, specifically noting that, “Their analysis of elections has also been objective.”
The REC highlighted his particular interest in KDI’s capacity to assist in three key areas: empowering ad-hoc staff, ensuring clear communication for security agencies, and enhancing the skills of journalists.
Dr. Agboke stressed the need for external support, even with INEC’s own efforts: “INEC has opened platforms for journalists but beyond that, election management is a different ball game but we still need intervention.”
He expressed INEC’s readiness to forge a deeper partnership with KDI, asserting that the organization possesses the necessary competence to support the electoral process.
“We want to partner with you in how we can monitor on the election day, from announcement of election at the polling unit, collation of results and announcement of the final results. “I know KDI has the capacity and what it takes to help inject,” he declared.
The REC also commented on the state’s peaceful electoral climate since he took office, stating that the absence of “orchestrated attacks on INEC” reflected positively on the commission’s conduct and image. He firmly pledged that he would “never act as an agent of confusion in electoral matters.”
He concluded his remarks to KDI by requesting: “We want KDI to help us build intelligence that will help us monitor the election successfully.”
In response, the Executive Director of KDI, Bukola Idowu, outlined his organization’s core activities, which include working on elections, voter participation, and advocacy, all aimed at boosting voter turnout and inclusivity. He detailed KDI’s work, which also involves monitoring campaign releases and pursuing electoral justice through “tribunal tracking.”
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Idowu emphasized KDI’s view on the entire electoral cycle, stating: “We believe as an organisation court processes too is part of the electoral process.”
The Director, whose organization was founded in Osun State in 2014, acknowledged that KDI has been observing INEC’s preparations for the 2026 governorship election. He offered high praise for the early mobilization efforts, noting: “We dare say we have not seen this type of early preparation, which means you and the commission want a successful election.”
Idowu commended INEC’s overall conduct and its excellence in communication, expressing KDI’s strong willingness to continue the partnership. He warned that the 2026 poll would be challenging: “The Osun election is going to be competitive and this requires a lot of logistics, security, having the staff that will work who knows what they need to do.”
He encouraged the commission to maintain its control over public messaging: “INEC has been able to take control of information dissemination. I encourage the commission to sustain these efforts.”
Idowu finally disclosed that KDI is already developing its comprehensive program to contribute to the success of the Osun 2026 election.