Ahead of Saturday’s governorship election in Osun State, election observers have been cautioned against disseminating unverified information or taking actions capable of undermining peace and public confidence in the electoral process.

Specifically, international and local observers have been charged to uphold professionalism, avoid unverified reports and cooperate with security agencies to safeguard the credibility of the poll.

The charge came on Friday at a joint operational briefing between international observers led by the Association of World Peace Advocates and local observers coordinated by the Civil Society Organizations on Community Advancement and Humanitarian Empowerment Initiative (CSCHEI).

The meeting focused on ensuring disciplined observation, accurate reporting and the safety of observers ahead of Saturday’s election.

CSCHEI, which is coordinating and supervising INEC-accredited civil society organisations deployed for the exercise, reminded observers that their assignments must be guided by the provisions of the Electoral Act and established election-observation guidelines.

The observers were particularly warned against circulating unverified information that could mislead voters, inflame tensions or undermine public confidence in the electoral process.

They were also directed to maintain close communication with security agencies and comply with security protocols throughout their deployment across the state.

Speaking at the briefing, CSCHEI Director-General, Kunle Yusuff, said the observers were on a national assignment and must therefore place Nigeria’s interest above individual or organisational considerations.

Yusuff said credible election observation remained critical to strengthening democracy, urging the observers to remain impartial, professional and objective in their assessment and reporting of the electoral process.

In his remarks, the Executive Director of the Association of World Peace Advocates, an INEC-accredited international observer, said security arrangements for the election must be guided by fairness, justice and equity.

He called on all stakeholders to ensure an environment that would enable voters to exercise their franchise freely and without intimidation.

Representatives of 32 INEC-accredited election observer organisations attended the briefing.