President Bola Tinubu has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to ensure that Saturday’s Osun State governorship election is peaceful, transparent and credible. In a statement issued on Friday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President urged INEC to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process and ensure that eligible voters are able to cast their ballots freely without intimidation or interference.

Osun Election: Heavy Security As INEC Intensifies Final Preparations

Tinubu described the August 15 governorship election as an important opportunity for INEC to demonstrate its readiness ahead of the 2027 general elections. He said the commission must conduct an orderly, free and fair election that reflects the will of the people. The President also directed the Inspector-General of Police and other security chiefs to provide maximum security at polling units and other strategic locations across Osun State, warning that there should be no room for individuals seeking to disrupt the electoral process. He stressed that both voters and electoral officials must be protected throughout the exercise.

The President encouraged eligible voters to turn out in large numbers and peacefully vote for candidates of their choice, assuring them that adequate security measures had been put in place. Saturday’s election will feature 15 political parties, with incumbent Governor Ademola Adelekeof the Accord Party (A), Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) among the leading contenders. Tinubu maintained that the credibility of the election would ultimately be judged by whether the final outcome genuinely reflects the wishes of the people of Osun State.