Tension is escalating in Osun State ahead of the August 15, 2026, governorship election, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Accord Party separately claim that a combined 18 of their members were killed during the electioneering period. The allegations, reported by Vanguard on Sunday, August 9, have heightened fears of reprisal attacks and raised questions about the adequacy of security arrangements for the poll.
APC and Accord Party Report Fatalities
The APC campaign council said 10 of its members lost their lives in Ilesa, Iwo, Osogbo, Ijebu-Jesa, and other communities. The Accord Party put its own losses at eight, with killings reported in Oriade, Ijebu-Jesha, Ilobu, Ikire, and Osogbo. Neither figure has been independently verified as a single confirmed death toll, but the allegations have significantly raised tensions across the state.
Individual incidents have punctuated the build-up to the election. In May, Accord Party member Kolade Eluyera was killed in Irewole Local Government Area, with the party blaming APC supporters, a claim the APC rejected. On June 3, the Accord Party chairman in Osogbo Local Government, Asimiyu Ajibola, was shot by gunmen and hospitalised. A separate killing was also reported in Esa-Oke, where Accord supporter Ajayi Rogba died during the period of heightened political activity. Campaign convoys in Ede, Osogbo, and other towns were also attacked.
Civil Society Records 44 Violent Incidents
The Kimpact Development Initiative, a civil society group, documented 44 election-related violent incidents across the state between October 2025 and June 2026, resulting in 13 fatalities. The group's findings underscore the volatile atmosphere surrounding the election, which has seen political parties trade accusations of violence.
The two parties have continued to blame each other for the violence, with no independent verification of the casualty figures. However, the cumulative impact of these incidents has raised concerns among stakeholders about the potential for further bloodshed on election day.
15,000 Police Officers Deployed for Election
The deployment of 15,000 police officers to the state has drawn sharply contrasting responses from political parties and civil society groups. The APC campaign council's Kehinde Ayantunji said the number mattered less than the professionalism and equipment of those deployed. Ayantunji added: "Most important thing is not about number, it's about the professional conduct of the Police, capacity to protect the people's vote."
Accord Party media director Oladele Bamiji questioned the mathematical logic of the deployment given that Osun has nearly 4,000 polling units, saying it was "not so big" and even inadequate compared to smaller states like Ekiti. His comments reflect a broader concern that the police presence may be insufficient to secure all polling stations effectively.
Mixed Reactions to Security Buildup
The civil society coalition, The Osun Masterminds, warned that the heavy deployment amounted to militarisation of the electoral process. Spokesperson Ayo Ologunde argued that police uniforms create fear among citizens, could trigger voter apathy, and would leave neighbouring states with thinner security coverage on election day. This perspective highlights a tension between the need for security and the risk of intimidating voters.
Others backed the deployment. Convener of Dialogue 365, Saka Waheed, said: "We demanded for protection, now we are having it. We cannot call it militarisation, the incessant killing in the past months show that if there is no enough security, there may be further killings on election day." His remarks underscore the fear that without robust security, violence could escalate on the day of the poll.
Stakeholders Urge Restraint and Professional Conduct
Former House of Assembly Committee chairman Olatunbosun Oyintiloye added that the heavy security presence may reflect intelligence available to the federal government, describing such deployments as routine during elections while urging agencies to address concerns over extrajudicial killings. His comments suggest that the deployment is a precautionary measure based on security assessments.
Stakeholders have called on political parties and their supporters to show restraint, and urged security agencies to use their presence to protect voters rather than suppress turnout. The outcome of the election, scheduled for August 15, 2026, will determine the next governor of Osun State, with the incumbent, Ademola Adeleke, seeking re-election under the Accord Party after his defection from the PDP in 2025.
