By Thomas Abidoye
President Bola Tinubu has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to ensure a peaceful, transparent and credible governorship election in Osun State.
Tinubu made the call in a statement issued on Friday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, ahead of Saturday’s election.
The President urged INEC to ensure an orderly conduct of the poll and maintain the integrity of the electoral process.
He also called on INEC to use the Osun governorship election as an opportunity to demonstrate its preparedness for the 2027 general elections.
Tinubu charged the Inspector-General of Police and heads of other security agencies participating in the election to provide maximum security at polling units and prevent troublemakers from disrupting the process.
He stressed the need to protect electoral officials and voters so they could perform their civic duties without fear or intimidation.
The President also urged Osun residents to come out in their numbers to vote for candidates of their choice, assuring them that necessary measures had been put in place to ensure their safety before and after the election.
He said the election must be credible and that the outcome should reflect the will of the people.
The President also urged voters to avoid actions capable of disrupting the peaceful conduct of the election.
Part of the statement reads, “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,” the President said.
“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.
“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.
“Electoral officials and voters must be protected so they can perform their civic duties without fear or intimidation.
“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.
“Our elections must be credible, and the outcome of the Osun Governorship election must reflect the will of the people,”
Fifteen candidates are contesting the August 15 governorship election, including incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke, the All Progressives Congress candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, and the African Democratic Congress candidate, Najeem Salaam.
