Ahead of the 15 August Osun State governorship poll, candidates from all 14 participating political parties gathered on Thursday to sign a peace accord, pledging their commitment to a violent-free election.
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, addressed the gathering, emphasising that the agreement sends a powerful, unambiguous message to citizens: “that democracy thrives when peace prevails.” He warned that anyone attempting to engage in vote buying or disrupt the poll would face the full weight of the law, declaring, “We will not allow the democratic will of the people to be subverted by fear or force.”
Representing the Chairman of the National Peace Committee, former Head of State Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.), John Cardinal Onaiyekan delivered the welcome remarks.
He noted that the accord marks another vital step in the committee’s ongoing mission to foster trust and ensure political rivalry does not trigger violence. Urging political actors to exercise restraint, civility, and respect for the rule of law, Onaiyekan stressed that signing the pact is not a mere formality or ritual, appealing directly to party members to abide by its spirit and letter. He added that a peaceful outcome also relies heavily on key stakeholders like INEC to conduct the exercise impartially and according to electoral laws.
During the event, incumbent Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, who is seeking re-election on the Accord party platform, personally signed the document. Meanwhile, representatives signed on behalf of All Progressives Congress candidate Bola Oyebamiji and African Democratic Congress candidate Dr Najeem Salaam.
Providing an operational update, Prof Amupitan disclosed that INEC has completed 11 of the 13 scheduled activities on its election timetable, leaving only the conclusion of campaigns on 13 August and election day itself. Electoral personnel will be deployed across the state’s 30 local government areas and the Modakeke Area Office, spanning 332 registration areas and 3,763 polling units.
.
Following the Automated Biometric Identification System review, the official voter register stands at 2,339,233 eligible citizens. Amupitan revealed that 322,822 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), representing 62 per cent of newly registered voters, have been collected so far. To boost pickup rates, INEC extended card collection across all local government offices until Friday, 31 July.