By Ghazali Ibrahim 
The Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSIEC) has failed to accredit journalists for the ongoing local government elections, sparking concerns over transparency.
Despite prior announcements that only accredited media and observers would be granted access to polling units and other electoral sites, journalists from the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) have been unable to obtain the necessary accreditation.
OSIEC’s Information Officer, Sadiat Isiaka, remarked, “Any unauthorized media or observer team without an authorization letter, official jackets, and tags from the Commission will be treated as an impostor”.
NUJ Correspondents’ Chapel Chairman, Shina Abubakar, confirmed the lack of access, raising doubts about the flow of information during the elections.
Governor Ademola Adeleke, who cast his vote today, praised the peaceful nature of the process, urging citizens to vote calmly and peacefully.
“The process has been very peaceful. I made a broadcast to my good people of Osun State that this election should be peaceful. They should come out and cast their votes and go home peacefully. We should not give them any chance to say there is violence there or there,” he said.
However, the absence of media coverage remains a point of contention.
