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As the people of Osun State vote on Saturday, August 15, to elect their governor, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and all other stakeholders must remember one fundamental truth: an election is not a war. It is a democratic contest in which citizens freely choose who should govern them. Osun people deserve a peaceful poll, not a self-consuming war.
There have been disturbing allegations and reports of attacks on political gatherings, destruction of campaign billboards and violent confrontations between supporters of rival political parties. The atmosphere is becoming unnecessarily and dangerously charged. Political disagreements must never become a licence to spill blood.
More than 2.3 million eligible voters are expected to participate in the election across the state’s 30 local government areas. Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party (AP) is seeking re-election, while the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Najeem Salam, are among the principal challengers in the contest.
INEC must keep its promise of delivering a free, fair, credible and transparent election. Saturday’s poll presents the chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, with a golden opportunity to get it right. There must be no manipulation, intimidation or interference from any quarter. INEC must remain truly independent. Its officials must conduct themselves professionally and impartially. The commission must ensure that every eligible voter who comes to the polling unit is able to vote without fear, harassment or obstruction.
The security agencies, too, have a critical responsibility. There should be adequate police deployment before, during and after the election. But adequate security must not become militarisation of the state. Osun is not a theatre of war. The state must not be turned into an armed camp where ordinary citizens are frightened away from polling units. Security personnel deployed for electoral duty must be neutral, professional and apolitical. They must not become instruments in the hands of politicians. Their loyalty on election day should be to the Constitution, the law and the Nigerian people.
The political parties and their supporters must also exercise restraint. Candidates may disagree vigorously over policies, records and programmes. They may attack one another politically. That is part of democracy. But nobody should be attacked physically because of their political affiliation. Thuggery has no place in a democratic election.
Recent reports of attacks on campaign facilities and allegations of political vandalism are particularly troubling. Such incidents are warning signs and must be thoroughly investigated. Where criminality is established, those responsible must be prosecuted, regardless of their political affiliations.
Osun has witnessed too much political violence already. In 2025, seven people were killed, including a former Council chairman. In the run-up to Saturday’s poll, about 30 persons have been reported lost. Enough is enough. The politicians contesting Saturday’s election should understand that no political office is worth the life of a single Osun citizen. The voters must not succumb to vote buying and voter inducement. They must also resist intimidation and vote according to their conscience.
Osun people deserve good governance, not a self-consuming war. This election must therefore be about the future of the state, not the settling of political scores.
All contestants should be given a level playing field. The incumbent must not enjoy an unfair advantage because he controls the machinery of government. Neither should opposition candidates be harassed because they challenge the administration. No federal or state institution should be weaponised against any candidate.
And when the votes are counted, the result must reflect the will of the people. Whoever wins should have won through the ballot, not through coercion, manipulation or violence. Give democracy a chance. The January 2027 general elections are also approaching. The Osun poll is therefore another important litmus test for INEC, the security agencies, political parties and the entire democratic system. A credible election in Osun will strengthen public confidence. A badly managed one will deepen cynicism and suspicion.
Amupitan must understand the weight of this responsibility. His promise to deliver the best election in Nigeria’s history will ultimately be judged with what happens in Osun on August 15. Let the police and other security agencies protect, not intimidate. INEC must administer, not manipulate. Let the voters decide, not thugs. The message to all stakeholders is simple: this election is not a ‘do-or-die’ affair. No political ambition should consume a state.
