Political leaders, security agencies, electoral officials, traditional rulers, religious leaders and civil society organisations on Monday renewed their commitment to ensuring a peaceful, credible and violence-free governorship election in Osun State.
The commitment was made at the Osun Election Peace and Security Summit themed, “Safeguarding the 2026 Osun Governorship Election: A Stakeholder Commitment to Peace and Security,” held at Aurora Event Centre, Osogbo.
The summit, organised by Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI) in collaboration with the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations and the Osun State Peace and Election Committee, attracted representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, political parties, traditional institutions, religious bodies, development partners and civil society organisations.
Presenting KDI’s Electoral Security Risk Assessment, the organisation’s Executive Director, Bukola Idowu, warned that the state was witnessing increasing election-related tensions capable of undermining the credibility of the August 15 governorship election.
He said, “We are gathered today for a purpose that is bigger than any political party, bigger than any candidate, bigger than any campaign and bigger than any single election. We are gathered to protect the peace of Osun State, the dignity of the voter and the democratic future that belongs to our children.”
Describing the summit as “an appeal, a warning and a prayer,” Idowu urged all stakeholders to commit themselves to peaceful conduct throughout the electoral process.
According to him, “Osun will choose democracy without fear, politics without violence, competition without hatred and victory without bloodshed.”
He stressed that elections should never become occasions for bloodshed.
“Elections are meant to count votes and not bodies. Elections are meant to settle political disagreements through the ballot, not through bullets, machetes, intimidation, burning of houses, abduction or fear,” he said.
Quoting findings from KDI’s Electoral Security Risk Assessment, Idowu disclosed that Osun recorded 56 election-related violent incidents in the last 12 months, compared with 26 non-election-related incidents.
He added that 14 persons lost their lives in election-related violence, noting that 65 per cent of the fatalities occurred in May and June 2026 as campaigns intensified.
“The security problem in Osun is not a general collapse of order. It is an election-specific pressure we are putting on ourselves. It can be prevented if we act early, act fairly and act together,” he said.
He further identified physical assaults, shootings, killings, destruction of property, intimidation and harassment as the most common forms of electoral violence.
According to him, “Behind every assault is a body. Behind every shooting is a family. Behind every act of intimidation is a citizen who may decide not to vote. Politics can burn down what people spend years to build.”
The KDI Executive Director appealed to INEC, security agencies, political parties and other stakeholders to act on early warning signs and prevent violence before it escalates.
Osun Resident Electoral Commissioner,Oluwatoyin Oke-Babalola, assured participants that the commission was fully prepared for the election.
She said INEC had completed 10 of the 13 activities contained in the election timetable and had strengthened election risk management through security mapping, stakeholder engagement and collaboration with security agencies.
She urged political actors to avoid inflammatory rhetoric and misinformation, saying, “No political ambition is worth the blood of any citizen of Osun State or any Nigerian.”
She added that “Political differences should not translate into personal hatred or violence,” while encouraging parties to embrace issue-based campaigns.
Representing the Inspector-General of Police, the Deputy Inspector-General of Police reaffirmed the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to a secure electoral process.
He warned that “Any individual or group found engaging in violence, intimidation, vote-buying, destruction of electoral materials or any other electoral offence will be dealt with swiftly in accordance with the law, irrespective of political affiliation or status.”
Governance Adviser at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Dr Matthew Ayibakuro, said peaceful elections required collective responsibility.
He noted, “Electoral violence does not just threaten lives and property; it undermines democratic legitimacy, discourages participation and weakens public confidence in democratic institutions.”
Representing the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, the Olu of Agbaje, Oba Adedokun Lekan, urged political actors to shun violence.
He conveyed the monarch’s message that “Politics should not be a do-or-die affair,” advising supporters not to destroy opponents’ campaign materials and urging parents to prevent their children from being recruited as political thugs.
Representatives of political parties, including the African Democratic Congress and the All Progressives Congress, also pledged to maintain peace before, during and after the August 15 governorship election.
In a message delivered on behalf of Governor Ademola Adeleke, the Osun State Government reaffirmed its commitment to collaborating with civil society organisations, security agencies and other stakeholders to ensure peaceful, credible and transparent elections across the state.
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