The controversy surrounding the just-concluded Osun State governorship election has taken a religious turn, with the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) alleging that thousands of Muslim women were prevented from voting because they wore hijab.
The organisation accused officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of allegedly forcing some Muslim women to remove their hijab before they could cast their ballots during Saturday’s election.
MURIC Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, made the allegations in a statement issued on Sunday, claiming that the alleged incidents occurred in different parts of the state.
According to him, some women wearing hijab were allegedly turned away from polling units, while others were allowed to vote only after removing their religious head coverings.
MURIC described the alleged treatment as “targeted coercion, humiliation and disenfranchisement”, accusing INEC of failing to adequately educate its regular and ad hoc officials on Nigerians’ constitutional right to freedom of religion.
The group said it had obtained video evidence of at least one incident involving a hijab-wearing woman who allegedly complained that she was prevented from voting because of her attire.
The allegation comes against the backdrop of a long-running hijab controversy in Osun, where the rights of Muslim women and girls to wear the Islamic head covering have previously generated legal and religious disputes.
In an earlier case involving public schools, courts recognised hijab as part of Muslim students’ constitutional freedom of religion.
MURIC argued that the alleged treatment of Muslim women during an election was particularly serious because it potentially affected their ability to participate in choosing the next governor of the state.
The organisation also turned its criticism on INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, demanding his removal and accusing him of failing to protect the rights of Muslim voters.
MURIC further alleged that Amupitan had previously been associated with a controversial legal brief concerning claims of Christian persecution in Nigeria.
The allegation was presented by the organisation as part of its argument that the INEC chairman was hostile to Muslims; no independent evidence establishing that claim was identified in the material available for this report.
Amupitan, a professor of law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, became INEC chairman in October 2025 after succeeding Professor Mahmood Yakubu. INEC says his mandate is to deliver free, fair, credible and inclusive elections.
MURIC warned that what it described as the alleged disenfranchisement of Muslim women in Osun could become a bigger problem ahead of the 2027 general elections, urging the Federal Government to intervene.
The group also cautioned that continued restrictions on Muslim women wearing hijab could trigger anger among members of the Muslim community, while calling on authorities to prevent what it described as the public humiliation of women.
However, the allegations remain those of MURIC, and the group’s claim that thousands of women were affected has not been independently established in the reports available as of Sunday.
The controversy erupted as INEC concluded the collation of results from Saturday’s keenly contested Osun governorship election.
Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party was declared winner on Sunday after polling 511,067 votes, defeating the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who scored 444,815 votes — a winning margin of 66,252 votes.
Adeleke also won 19 of Osun’s 30 local government areas, while Oyebamiji secured 11, according to the results announced during collation.
