Fresh Political Disputes Cast Shadow Over Osun Peace Accord
Fresh political tensions between the ruling Accord Party and the All Progressives Congress (APC) overshadowed the signing of a Peace Accord ahead of the August 15 Osun State governorship election.
The agreement, organised by the National Peace Committee (NPC) with support from the European Union, brought together political parties, governorship candidates and key stakeholders in Osogbo to pledge their commitment to a peaceful, credible and violence-free election.
Representatives of the 14 political parties contesting the poll, including the Accord Party, APC, African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), signed the accord. Governor Ademola Adeleke signed for the Accord Party alongside the party chairman, Victor Akande, while the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, was represented by the party’s Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi.
The ceremony was attended by traditional rulers, civil society organisations, security agencies and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Speaking on behalf of the Chairman of the National Peace Committee, former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, urged political parties, candidates and supporters to reject violence, hate speech and misinformation.
He stressed that no political office was worth the loss of lives, adding that the true victory would be an election that reflects the freely expressed will of the people.
The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, also appealed to residents to embrace peace and vote according to their conscience, urging politicians to put the interest of Osun State above personal ambitions.
Despite the peace pledge, Governor Adeleke accused the police of intimidating members of his administration and supporters of the Accord Party.
He alleged that several party members had been arrested and moved outside Osun State, describing the actions as politically motivated. The governor called on the National Peace Committee and the Inspector-General of Police to intervene, insisting that anyone accused of committing offences should be tried in courts within Osun State.
The governor also claimed that more than 60 Accord Party leaders had been arrested, while several supporters had been attacked in recent months without any successful prosecution of those responsible.
On its part, the APC demanded the dismissal of the Secretary to the State Government, Teslim Igbalaye, following his arrest by the police over alleged vote-buying and claims that a wanted murder suspect was found at his residence.
The APC Campaign Council argued that the state government should allow law enforcement agencies to carry out their investigation without interference and urged Governor Adeleke not to shield anyone facing criminal allegations.
Meanwhile, the Imole Campaign Council, which is coordinating Adeleke’s re-election campaign, condemned the arrest of the SSG, describing it as political persecution aimed at weakening the ruling party before the election.
The campaign insisted that the cash recovered from Igbalaye’s residence was meant for campaign logistics and that possession of a voters’ register did not amount to an electoral offence.
Although Igbalaye was later released by the police after spending a night in custody, it remained unclear whether the other suspects arrested alongside him had also regained their freedom.
Adding to the controversy, Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, alleged that the state Commissioner of Police was planning to implicate and arrest him ahead of the election.
He claimed intelligence reports suggested that some police officers had been making efforts to link him to criminal activities, an allegation the police have not officially responded to.
Amid the political exchanges, INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, reaffirmed the commission’s readiness for the August 15 governorship election, describing it as the most important off-cycle poll before the 2027 general elections.
He said the election would serve as a major test of INEC’s operational preparedness and deployment of electoral technology ahead of the next nationwide polls.
According to the commission, 2,339,233 registered voters are expected to vote across 3,763 polling units in the state’s 30 local government areas, with 14 political parties participating in the contest.
