Violence and Tension Rise Ahead of Osun Gubernatorial Election

As the Osun gubernatorial election approaches in six days, significant concerns regarding violence and the fairness of the electoral process have emerged. Since October 2025, the Kimpact Development Initiative has documented 44 election-related violent incidents and 13 fatalities in the state.

A notable incident involved the shooting death of 14-year-old Ezekiel Olapade in June at the Irepodun Local Government Secretariat in Ilobu, allegedly during an attack by armed men. The Osun State Police Command later arrested Kareem Saheed, known as Tanfeani, and 23 others for various violent crimes.

Campaign billboards have also been destroyed, leading to retaliatory violence. The Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, has deployed 15,000 security personnel and facilitated a peace pact between the leading parties, the Accord party and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

However, skepticism remains regarding the effectiveness of the peace agreement amid ongoing allegations of federal government interference and political thuggery.