Major contenders in the August 15 Osun State governorship election on Thursday signed the National Peace Accord, committing themselves to a peaceful, credible and violence-free election amid growing concerns over political tension in the state.
Governor Ademola Adeleke, candidate of the Accord Party, personally signed the peace pact, while the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, was represented by his running mate, Engr. Kayode Adereti. The governorship candidate of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Engr. John Olufemi Adesuyi, also endorsed the accord alongside candidates and representatives of other political parties.
The peace accord, facilitated by the National Peace Committee headed by former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.), brought together political leaders, security agencies, election officials, traditional rulers, civil society organisations and religious leaders to reaffirm their commitment to peaceful conduct before, during and after the election.
Speaking at the ceremony, Governor Adeleke appealed to the National Peace Committee to intervene in what he described as an “impending police-induced genocide” in Osun State, alleging that members and leaders of the Accord Party were being subjected to intimidation, unlawful arrests and violent attacks.
The governor said he attended the peace meeting despite contemplating a boycott because of what he described as sustained violence against his supporters, noting that his respect for the National Peace Committee informed his decision to participate.
According to him, no fewer than eight members of the Accord Party have lost their lives in political attacks in the last three months, while over 20 others sustained gunshot injuries. He alleged that more than 60 leaders of the party had also been arrested and transferred to Abuja, where they were remanded in correctional facilities in the Federal Capital Territory and Nasarawa State without being prosecuted in Osun.
Adeleke questioned why suspects arrested in Osun were being taken outside the state despite the existence of competent courts within the state. He urged the committee to prevail on the Inspector-General of Police to return all detained party members to Osun for trial if there was evidence that they committed any offence.
“Our request is for impartial policing, a fair and just electoral commission and the supremacy of the will of the people at the polls,” Adeleke said.
In his address, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), assured political parties and the electorate that the commission was fully prepared to conduct a transparent, credible and peaceful governorship election.
He said the election would be conducted across the state’s 30 local government areas and the Modakeke Area Office, covering 332 registration areas and 3,763 polling units for the 2,339,233 registered voters.
Expressing concern over recent security incidents in parts of the state, Amupitan said INEC had activated an intelligence-driven security architecture through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) to safeguard voters, election officials and electoral materials.
He disclosed that security agencies had identified potential flashpoints in several local government areas, including Osogbo, Ede North, Ede South, Ife Central, Boripe, Ifelodun, Oriade, Ila, Ifedayo and Atakumosa East and West, assuring residents that adequate deployments would be made to prevent violence.
The INEC chairman also reiterated that accreditation would be done exclusively with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), stressing that there would be no manual accreditation. He added that all polling unit results would be uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) immediately after voting.
He warned political parties against vote-buying, revealing that INEC was working with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and other security agencies to arrest and prosecute anyone involved in electoral bribery.
“It is not the signatures written today that preserve democracy; it is the character of the leaders who hold the pen. Leadership won at the expense of human life and public safety is a hollow victory,” the INEC chairman declared.
Also speaking, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, urged political parties and their supporters to avoid violence, insisting that no political ambition was worth the blood of any citizen.
The monarch reminded politicians that while political alliances change, the people remain the ultimate victims of electoral violence.
“There is no permanent friend among politicians. They will align and realign, but it is the ordinary people who suffer. Osun is bigger than every one of us,” the Ooni said.
He urged residents to reject vote-buying, insisting that the power to determine the state’s next governor rests with the electorate.
“Don’t let anybody buy your conscience. Go to your polling units peacefully, vote according to your conviction and return home without engaging in violence. Power belongs to God and ultimately belongs to the people,” he said.
The peace accord signing comes amid heightened political activities and increasing security concerns ahead of the August 15 governorship election, with stakeholders expressing hope that the commitments made by candidates would translate into peaceful campaigns and a credible electoral process.
