Candidates of the 14 political parties contesting the 15 August Osun State governorship election on Thursday signed a peace accord, committing themselves to a peaceful, free and credible electoral process.
Governor Ademola Adeleke, who is seeking re-election on the platform of the Accord Party, signed the agreement at the ceremony, while representatives signed on behalf of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Dr Najeem Salaam.
Speaking on behalf of the Chairman of the National Peace Committee, former Head of State Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.), Cardinal John Onaiyekan described the accord as a significant step towards ensuring that political competition did not lead to violence.
He urged political parties and their supporters to conduct the remainder of their campaigns with restraint, civility and respect for the rule of law, stressing that the agreement should be treated as a binding commitment rather than a symbolic exercise.
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Joash Amupitan, said the signing of the accord demonstrated the candidates’ commitment to non-violence and democratic principles.
He warned that anyone involved in disrupting the election or engaging in vote-buying would face the full weight of the law, adding that the commission had completed 11 of the 13 activities on its election timetable, with the end of campaigns on 13 August and polling day remaining.
Amupitan said INEC would deploy personnel to all 30 local government areas, the Modakeke Area Office, 332 registration areas and 3,763 polling units across the state.
He disclosed that the certified register contained 2,339,233 eligible voters following the Automated Biometric Identification System exercise, while 322,822 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), representing 62 per cent of newly registered voters, had been collected. He added that PVC collection at local government offices had been extended until 31 July to allow more voters to obtain their cards.
The INEC chairman also expressed concern over reports of violence and threats in parts of the state, saying the commission had adopted proactive security measures through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, with intelligence-led operations to be carried out in collaboration with the police and the Armed Forces.
Representing the Inspector-General of Police, Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone XI, Akinyele Fasuba, assured residents that adequate security arrangements had been made before, during and after the election.
He said police personnel from across the country had been deployed to Osun State and pledged that the force would remain impartial throughout the electoral process.
Governor Adeleke, however, alleged that members of his party had been subjected to police harassment and called for impartial policing and a transparent electoral process.
He urged security agencies and INEC to ensure that the election reflected the will of the electorate and was conducted in a free and fair manner.
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, commended INEC’s independence and appealed to political parties and their supporters to reject violence, saying the interests of Osun State should take precedence over partisan considerations.
