Hundreds of protesters on Thursday stormed the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abuja to commend the commission over its conduct of the recent Osun State governorship election.

The protesters praised INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, President Bola Tinubu and security agencies for what they described as neutrality during the election, saying the exercise had renewed public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process.

They urged the commission to sustain and improve on the standard ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The protesters, who disrupted vehicular movement around the INEC headquarters for nearly an hour, carried placards with messages backing Amupitan and demanding credible, transparent and inclusive elections.

The demonstration was organised by a coalition comprising Opposition Political Parties United for Democracy, National Ethnic Groups, Area Consultative Youth Movement, Middle Belt Youth Forum, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Movement, South South Youth Leaders Consultative Forum, Oduduwa Youth Assembly, and the African Centre for Justice and Human Rights.

Addressing the protesters and presenting their letter to INEC, leader of the coalition, Obed Agu, said the group had gathered to commend the electoral commission for what it described as a credible handling of the Osun governorship election.

“We are here to say thank you to an institution whose conduct in the Osun governorship election has renewed the confidence of many Nigerians in the electoral process,” Agu said.

He said the coalition brought together representatives of political parties, ethnic youth organisations, community leaders, religious leaders, women leaders, civil society organisations and other democratic stakeholders who participated in a national post-election discourse convened by the African Centre for Justice and Human Rights.

Agu said the coalition’s assessment of the Osun election had strengthened its confidence in Amupitan’s leadership of INEC.

He acknowledged that Amupitan faced questions about his independence when he assumed office but said the commission’s conduct should ultimately be judged by its actions.

“We are aware that when he assumed office as Chairman of INEC, there were questions about his independence, assumptions about who appointed him and voices predicting what he would do. But democracy requires that we judge people by their conduct,” he said.

“Today, after observing the Osun election, we say, judge Amupitan by what he has done. He has demonstrated institutional independence, engaged political parties, followed electoral timelines, continued preparations for 2027 and strengthened stakeholder engagement.”

Despite its commendation, the coalition said its confidence in INEC came with expectations, including equal treatment of voters and political parties and the protection of the transparency and independence of the electoral process.

“We expect the same standard to continue, and even higher standards in 2027. We expect every Nigerian voter to be treated equally. We expect every political party to be treated fairly. We expect every vote to count,” Agu said.

“We expect the commission to remain independent and the electoral process to remain transparent.”

The coalition also commended President Tinubu and security agencies for what it described as their role in creating an environment that allowed the Osun election to take place without undue interference.

Agu said the conduct of the Federal Government during the poll demonstrated that state authority could be exercised without being used to influence electoral outcomes.

“Our message to President Tinubu is equally straightforward: continue on this track. Our message to the security agencies is to maintain neutrality and professionalism. Our message to the political class is to let the people decide,” he said.

The coalition urged Nigerians to retain confidence in democracy while insisting that electoral institutions must be praised when they perform well and held accountable when they fail.

Agu said the coalition was expressing solidarity with INEC because of its belief that the commission could deliver a more credible electoral process in 2027.

“The Osun election has given Nigeria a new democratic benchmark. Osun must not be an exception. It must be the standard,” he said.

Receiving the protesters and their letter, INEC National Commissioner, Haruna Kudu Mohammed, thanked the coalition for its feedback and assured them that the commission would continue to improve the electoral process.

He reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to strengthening the conduct of elections and addressing issues that could improve public confidence ahead of the 2027 general elections.