Stakeholders across Osun State have pledged to work together to ensure a peaceful, credible and violence-free governorship election on August 15, 2026.
The commitments were made at the Osun Election Peace and Security Summit (EPSS) 2026, organised by KIMPACT Development Initiative (KDI) at Aurora Hall, Ring Road, Osogbo.
The summit brought together traditional rulers, security chiefs, INEC officials, political actors, religious leaders, civil society organisations and development partners to strengthen public confidence and prevent electoral violence.
Speaking on behalf of the Ooni of Ife, the Agbolu of Ageaje, Oba Adekunle Adebowale, urged politicians, their supporters and voters to maintain peace before, during and after the election. He stressed that political differences must not degenerate into violence.
The Orangun of Oke-Ila, Oba Adedokun Omoniyi Abolarin, Aroyinkeye I, also condemned inflammatory campaigns and politically motivated killings, urging residents to make the Osun election a model of peaceful democratic participation.
The Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, Umar Nadada, who represented the Inspector-General of Police, assured stakeholders that security agencies were fully prepared to protect lives and property during the election.
He warned that anyone caught buying or selling votes, snatching ballot materials or disrupting the electoral process would face prosecution.
Nadada also appealed to traditional rulers, religious leaders and the media to promote peaceful coexistence and responsible engagement throughout the election period.
Representing the INEC Chairman, Prof. Kunle Ajayi assured stakeholders that the commission was committed to conducting a free, fair, credible, inclusive and conclusive election.
He reaffirmed INEC’s impartiality and urged political parties, candidates and voters to cooperate with the commission to ensure a smooth electoral process.
The Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said preparations for the election were on track.
She disclosed that the updated voters’ register was presented to political parties on July 9, while 30,639 duplicate registrations had been removed and 8,201 persons with disabilities registered.
According to her, more than two million eligible voters are on the register, while non-sensitive election materials had already been deployed.
KDI Team Lead, Bukola Idowu, disclosed that Osun State recorded 56 election-related violent incidents and 14 deaths in the past 12 months.
She recalled the peace accord signed four years ago on July 13 and stressed the need for sustained peacebuilding efforts ahead of the election.
KDI subsequently recommended stronger collaboration among INEC, security agencies, political parties, civil society organisations and community leaders to prevent electoral violence.
Religious leaders representing Christian, Muslim and traditional institutions also jointly called on politicians and residents to reject violence and embrace peaceful participation.
Representatives of political parties, including the African Action Congress (AAC), BOOTS Party, African Democratic Congress (ADC) and All Progressives Congress (APC), pledged to conduct peaceful campaigns and support a violence-free election.
Dr Mathew Ayibakuro, Governance Adviser at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), commended the initiative and stressed that peaceful elections were essential to achieving inclusive governance, particularly for women, youths and persons with disabilities.
The summit ended with a collective call for tolerance, respect for the rule of law and the rejection of hate speech, vote-buying and other forms of electoral inducement.
Stakeholders expressed confidence that sustained cooperation among political actors, security agencies, election officials, traditional institutions and civil society would help deliver a credible and widely accepted election on August 15, 2026.
