Politicians in the state and their enablers need to be reminded that the present Osun was part of the old Oyo state of Second republic, where manipulation of the 1983 general election led to massive protests that contributed to the demise of the civilian government of the time. Osun of today, was equally, part of the Western Region where vote rigging led to the disturbances code-named ‘Operation Wetie’, that was part of the reasons that truncated the First Republic. These are relevant lessons for the stakeholders in the state, INEC and the Federal Government as voters in Osun cast their ballots tomorrow.
By Emeka Alex Duru
Osun state governorship election which comes up tomorrow, August 15, has inclinations of proxy war. For explanation, a proxy war is an encounter where major powers do not fight each other directly but instigate smaller local groups, or nations to do the battle on their behalf. In this particular instance, the build-up to the poll and activities of the political players from the state and outside indicate a dress rehearsal of what to expect in 2027. This is the easy way to situate the worrisome developments in Osun.
Fifteen political parties have been cleared for the election. But it is a straight fight between Governor Ademola Adeleke of Accord Party (AP) and Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Najeem Salaam, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, is equally of importance but not of same weight with Adeleke and Oyebamiji. For the APC and Accord, it is a fight-to-finish, going by arrests so far made by the police and utterances of chieftains of both parties.
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The recent declaration by President Bola Tinubu that all is fair in politics, adds to the tension surrounding the election. So also is the mindless remark by the Senator representing Osun East, Francis Fadahunsi, in which he directed his APC members to kill chieftains and supporters of Accord Party, wherever they see them. Though he later claimed being misunderstood because he spoke in his native Yoruba, the weight of the unguarded utterance is not lost to perceptive minds.
Thus, the Osun election has all the trappings of a war, with both the APC and Accord trading accusations over the killings of supporters in the state. For the President and his henchmen, remaining in power and acquiring more territories is what counts. Therefore, 2027 is a battle that must be won by him and his party at all costs. The ugly eruptions in Osun, are therefore, mere dress rehearsals of what lies ahead. They are proxy wars of sorts. On Wednesday, Dele Ayegbo, nephew of the APC governorship candidate’s campaign Director-General, Wole Oke, was killed near his residence in the Idofin area of Esa-Oke, located in the Obokun Local Government Area. A release by the state’s APC spokesperson Kola Olabisi, stated that he was gunned down by suspected hoodlums operating from a vehicle.
Massive security build-up for the poll, is equally making it scary for voters to turn up and exercise their rights to vote. The Police on Thursday said as many as 30 Commissioners of Police would be on duty during the election. The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Iniedu, who made the disclosure, added that a Deputy Inspector-General of Police would coordinate security activities during the poll.
According to him, over 15,000 police operatives would be on duty during the poll, noting that a police helicopter and drone unit had arrived in the state to conduct area surveillance. He further said two units of the Mobile Police Force, each comprising over 60 personnel, had been deployed to the state headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Osogbo, the state capital.
For a state election that is programmed for an estimated 1,906,390 eligible voters out of the 2,339,233 registered voters in 332 wards spread across 30 local government areas, the security arrangement is suffocating and an overkill. The fear instigated by the heavy security presence was heightened by the armada of governors and officials of the state, led by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio that graced the Thursday rally of the APC candidate, Oyebamiji.
Notwithstanding, INEC has pledged a free and transparent exercise. All eyes are on it to do the needful. Osun is a litmus test for the Commission ahead of the 2027 general election. The INEC national chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan must get it right, this time, given that previous outings by the Commission under him in Anambra and recently, in Ekiti, were adjudged by many as failing the critical tests of fairness and transparency. The Osun election, thus, provides him and his team another opportunity to redeem the image of the Commission or sink further in public rating and repute.
Nigerians do not expect anything short of a free and fair election in Osun. The stakes are high, just as the election is important to the parties involved and will be keenly contested. INEC should ensure that the votes count. Let the electoral umpire remain the impartial arbiter that the constitution charges it to be.
The challenge of Nigeria’s electoral system has been the opacity of the exercise which gives room for rigging, violence and manipulation of the voting processes. Most of the past elections in the country had fallen into the ugly trap, thereby casting doubts on the credibility of the outcome and exposing the country to ridicule abroad. The recent Ekiti governorship election fell into that ugly trend. Osun therefore, offers INEC another chance to redeem its image that has remained dented since the 2023 general elections in which it performed below expectations.
It is worth noting that the successful conduct of the poll requires commitment and cooperation by the critical stakeholders in the state apart from the INEC. In this regard, the political parties, the candidates and their supporters should play by the rule. They should eschew violence, vote buying, voter inducement and other electoral infractions. Winning the contest should not be a do-or-die affair. Let the voters vote according to their conscience. The election does not worth the blood of any Osun indigene or resident. The people’s will should be respected.
Politicians in the state and their enablers need to be reminded that the present Osun was part of the old Oyo state of Second republic, where manipulation of the 1983 general election led to massive protests that contributed to the demise of the civilian government of the time. Osun of today, was equally, part of the Western Region where vote rigging led to the disturbances code-named ‘Operation Wetie’, that was part of the reasons that truncated the First Republic. These are relevant lessons for the stakeholders in the state, INEC and the Federal Government as voters in Osun cast their ballots tomorrow.
