President Bola Tinubu has directed the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies to guarantee a peaceful, transparent, and credible governorship election in Osun State as voters prepare to elect their next governor on Saturday.
With fifteen candidates vying for the position—including incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party, All Progressives Congress candidate Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, and African Democratic Congress candidate Hon. Najeem Salaam—the President emphasised the importance of protecting the integrity of the electoral process.
“As the people of Osun State head to the polling units to elect who will govern them in the next four years, I call on the Independent National Electoral Commission to ensure orderly conduct of the election. The election must be transparent, free and fair. I urge INEC to ensure the integrity of the process,” Tinubu stated.
The President described the Osun election as the last off-cycle governorship poll before the 2027 general elections and urged INEC to use it as a test case to demonstrate its preparedness for the national vote.
“INEC must use this last off-cycle election as a test case to demonstrate to Nigerians their full preparedness for the 2027 polls,” he added.
Tinubu Warns Against Electoral Violence
The President also directed the Inspector-General of Police and other security chiefs to provide maximum protection for voters and electoral officials, warning troublemakers against attempting to disrupt the process.
“I have charged the Inspector-General of Police and other heads of security outfits taking part in the election to provide maximum security at polling units. No room should be allowed for troublemakers to disrupt the process,” he said.
Tinubu stressed that electoral officials and voters must be able to carry out their responsibilities without intimidation or fear, adding that adequate security measures had been put in place before, during, and after the election.
“Voters should feel confident to go out in their numbers to vote for the candidate of their choice as all measures necessary to ensure a peaceful, free and fair election have been put in place,” the President assured.
He insisted that the credibility of the election would ultimately depend on the extent to which the final result reflects the choice of the electorate.
“Our elections must be credible, and the outcome of the Osun Governorship election must reflect the will of the people,” Tinubu declared.
