#OspolyDecides2026: ISEC Vice Chairman Says 78.5% Voter Turnout Shows Transparency of Election
The Vice Chairman of the Independent Students Electoral Commission (ISEC), Hon. Comrade A.A. Amusan, has said the 78.5 per cent voter turnout recorded in the 2026 Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, Students’ Union Government election exceeded the commission’s expectations.
Amusan stated this in an exclusive post-election interview with The Creativity Site following the conclusion of the election on Saturday.
According to him, ISEC had initially expected between 50 and 60 per cent of accredited voters to participate, but the commission recorded a turnout of 78.5 per cent.
He attributed the turnout to the work carried out by the electoral team led by the ISEC Chairman, Hon. Comrade Raphael, alongside himself and other commission members.
“The level of participation was beyond what we expected. Personally, I expected 50-60% of the accredited voters to turnout and at the end we were able to get up to 78.5% voters,” Amusan said.
The ISEC Vice Chairman also addressed difficulties experienced by some students while trying to access the online voting portal.
He explained that the commission had earlier oriented stakeholders on the security features of the voting system in conjunction with GANUF, including a one-device-one-voter arrangement.
According to him, students were informed that failure to correctly answer security questions containing personal information would prevent them from voting, while resetting passwords on election day would also make a voter ineligible to cast a ballot.
Amusan said he personally attended to students who experienced difficulties, adding that ISEC wanted to minimise situations that could raise questions about the integrity of the election.
He attributed some of the initial difficulties experienced by voters to the large number of students attempting to access the portal simultaneously.
“Majorities of voters that were unable to vote in the morning later voted later within the voting hours and that was due to the fact that many voters were trying to access the portal at the same time,” he said.
On concerns raised by some students over the fairness and credibility of the process, Amusan maintained that the election was free, fair, credible and transparent.
He said ISEC made itself available to students and other stakeholders throughout the process and claimed that agents of candidates who were present at the election situation room commended the commission's work.
“For me, today’s election was the best election this institution has ever had. Everything we did was transparent and unhidden to the masses, from students to the staffs,” he said.
The commission, he added, put measures in place to protect the voting process and ensure that eligible students could cast their votes.
Amusan said the ability of students to vote from their respective locations while the process was being monitored at the situation room demonstrated the level of transparency ISEC sought to achieve.
“We put in place enormous measures for today. People were able to vote and also monitored voting, ascending themselves, to the extent there was no much difference between us in the situation room and the students at home,” he said.
Reflecting on the major lesson from #OspolyDecides2026, Amusan identified transparency as the most significant outcome of the process.
He said the approach adopted by ISEC could provide lessons for future elections and suggested that Nigeria could learn from such a voting model.
“I think the biggest lesson would be the transparency of this process. I love it. I think Nigeria as a nation should emulate this pattern of election for better election outcomes rather than the archaic system we’ve been practicing,” he said.
Amusan also appreciated students who participated in the election and congratulated the candidates who emerged winners, while commending those who did not win.
He urged the candidates to work together for the development of OSPOLY and said he hoped the institution would remember the commission for its work during the election.
“I would love to appreciate and congratulate each and everyone of us that voted. We exercised our right to vote in a free way and we turned up in masses in doing so,” he said.
“To the candidates that exercised the right to be voted for, congratulations also. I congratulate all the winners and commend all the runners up. I hope you guys would work together for the greatness of this prestigious institution.”
Amusan described his service on the commission as an honour and said he hoped ISEC’s work during #OspolyDecides2026 would remain a notable part of the institution’s electoral history.
“I would love this institution to remember us for our incredible work for achieving the best election this institution has had. Till our repelling comes next year, most of our work is done. Thank you for the opportunity to serve, it’s been an honour.”
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