The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) has deployed observers, fact-checkers and analysts across all 30 Local Government Areas of Osun State ahead of the governorship election scheduled for Saturday, 15 August 2026.
The deployment will be supported by an additional 40 election, data, conflict, fact-checking and digital information experts operating from CJID’s Election Analysis Centre. Together, the field and analysis teams will monitor developments from the opening of polling units through voting, counting, collation and the immediate post-election period.
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The deployment comes after weeks of monitoring the pre-election environment in Osun. CJID’s work has identified several issues requiring close attention, including political violence and threats, vote buying, election-related misinformation, security concerns and questions around the preparedness of electoral institutions.
CJID’s Conflict Tracker has recorded at least 34 election-related violent incidents and 18 confirmed deaths across Osun since May 2026. The organisation will therefore pay particular attention to the safety of voters, journalists and election observers, as well as security conduct and developments in areas that have experienced violence in the run-up to the election.
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The organisation will also monitor the digital information environment through its Digital Information Analysis and Data Analysis Centre (DAIDAC). This will include claims about voting procedures, BVAS and result transmission; false or premature election results; security rumours; manipulated images, audio and video; impersonation and false endorsements; and potentially coordinated attempts to manipulate election-related conversations online.
CJID’s fact-checking and OSINT teams will work alongside field observers to verify significant claims as they emerge. Particular attention will be given to distinguishing isolated incidents from wider patterns. Reports of BVAS failure, violence, vote buying or other irregularities will be assessed for location, scale and available evidence before broader conclusions are drawn.
The Election Analysis Centre will bring these different streams of information together, allowing field reports, digital monitoring, conflict data, media reports and election results to be analysed within a common framework. Verified incidents requiring institutional intervention will also be communicated to the relevant electoral or security authorities.
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“Our interest is in the integrity of the entire process and the quality of information available to citizens as that process unfolds. We want to understand whether people can vote safely, whether the process of counting and collation is credible, and whether citizens have access to reliable information with which to understand what is happening around them,” CJID said.
The organisation noted that the period around counting and collation will require particular attention. False result sheets, premature declarations, misleading claims about result transmission and decontextualised incidents can spread rapidly during this period and affect public understanding of the process.
CJID will publish verified updates and preliminary observations during the election where necessary, while maintaining clear distinctions between incidents directly observed by its teams, claims independently verified by its analysts, reports still undergoing verification and broader analytical assessments.
Beyond election day, CJID will continue monitoring the immediate post-election environment, including reactions to the declared result, possible violence or intimidation, information manipulation and emerging narratives about the credibility of the process.
READ ALSO: #OsunDecides2026: Residents speak on election-day expectations, demand transparent, violence-free polls
The Osun deployment, supported by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Nigeria, forms part of CJID’s broader work on electoral accountability, information integrity, fact-checking, media freedom and democratic governance across West Africa.
About CJID
The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) is a West African media innovation and development organisation working to strengthen journalism, democratic accountability and civic participation. Its work spans investigative journalism, fact-checking, information integrity, media development, civic technology, press freedom, artificial intelligence and digital governance, conflict and public safety, and elections.
Media inquiries:
Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID)
Communications Team via [email protected]
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