Osun in Panic Mode as 18 Killed Six Days to Governorship Election

Tension is mounting across Osun State six days to the August 15 governorship election, with the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Accord Party claiming that no fewer than 18 of their members have been killed during the build-up to the poll.

The claims have heightened fears of further violence before, during and after the election, with political parties, civil society groups and other stakeholders expressing divergent views over the deployment of 15,000 policemen across the state.

The election campaign has been characterised by attacks on party supporters, shootings, clashes and alleged assassination attempts in different parts of Osun.

In May, an Accord Party member, Kolade Eluyera, was killed in Irewole Local Government Area. The party alleged that suspected APC supporters were responsible, a claim the APC rejected.

On June 3, the Accord chairman in Osogbo Local Government Area, Asimiyu Ajibola, was shot by gunmen and hospitalised.

Another Accord supporter, Ajayi Rogba, was reportedly killed in Esa-Oke amid heightened political activities.

The incidents have triggered accusations between the two major opposition parties, with each side denying responsibility for attacks blamed on its members.

Campaign activities in Ede, Osogbo and other parts of the state have also been disrupted by clashes, shootings and attacks on campaign convoys, further raising concerns about the growing level of political violence.

13 fatalities recorded

The Kimpact Development Initiative said 44 election-related violent incidents resulting in 13 fatalities were recorded in Osun between October 2025 and June 2026.

However, the APC and Accord Party gave higher figures when speaking about deaths involving their respective members.

The APC campaign council claimed that at least 10 of its members had been killed during the electioneering period, while the Accord Party said eight of its members had lost their lives.

The combined figure of 18 deaths claimed by the two parties has not been independently established as a single death toll.

Nevertheless, the allegations have intensified concerns about possible reprisal attacks as the election approaches.

‘10 of our members have been killed’ — APC

The APC campaign council said the effectiveness of the 15,000 policemen deployed for the election would depend more on their professionalism, equipment and capacity than on the numerical strength of the deployment.

A member of the campaign council, Kehinde Ayantunji, who spoke on behalf of the chairman, said at least 10 APC members had been killed in Ilesa, Iwo, Osogbo, Ijebu-Jesa and other communities since the commencement of the campaign.

“Since the beginning of this campaign, they have killed nothing less than 10 members of our party in Ilesa, Iwo, Osogbo, Ijebu-Jesa and some other communities.

“It is unfortunate that human life is involved and there is no election that is worth the life of any human being,” he said.

Ayantunji said the party was more concerned about the conduct of security personnel and their ability to protect voters and ensure that every ballot counted.

He said security agencies must provide the personnel, equipment, strategy and logistics required to secure the 3,761 polling units in the state.

Accord demands more security personnel

The Accord Party, however, argued that 15,000 policemen might still be inadequate considering the level of violence recorded in parts of the state.

The party’s Media Director, Oladele Bamiji, said eight Accord members had been killed since the campaign began.

“The Accord Party has lost about eight people to violence since the commencement of this campaign. We have seen killings in Oriade, Ijebu-Jesha, Ilobu, Ikire to be precise and even in Osogbo,” Bamiji said.

He described the situation as frightening and called for increased security deployment to protect voters and electoral materials.

Bamiji also questioned whether the 15,000 policemen would be sufficient for the state’s nearly 4,000 polling units, arguing that other security agencies would need to complement the police.

Group kicks against ‘militarisation’

While the political parties have called for adequate security, The Osun Masterminds, a coalition of civil society organisations, described the deployment of 15,000 policemen as excessive.

The group’s spokesperson, Ayo Ologunde, said the heavy deployment amounted to the militarisation of the election and could discourage voters from participating.

“The deployment of 15,000 policemen for gubernatorial election in Osun signifies militarisation. The state and the nation as a whole should have grown to a level where election should not be seen as war,” Ologunde said.

He warned that the deployment could also create security gaps in neighbouring states by reducing the number of police officers available there.

Ologunde further argued that election security should not create fear among residents or restrict their freedom of movement.

‘15,000 policemen will stop violence’

The Convener of Dialogue 365, Saka Waheed, disagreed with the criticism, saying the security deployment was necessary given the violence recorded during the campaign.

“We demanded for protection, now we are having it. We cannot call it militarisation,” Waheed said.

According to him, inadequate security could expose voters to attacks and allow hoodlums to disrupt the electoral process.

He said even more personnel could be deployed if necessary, provided their presence was aimed at protecting residents and ensuring a peaceful election.

Deployment may be intelligence-driven — ex-lawmaker

A former chairman of the Osun State House of Assembly Committee on Information, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, also supported the deployment.

Oyintiloye said the decision could have been informed by intelligence available to the Federal Government, particularly against the backdrop of the country’s wider security challenges.

He noted that the deployment of security personnel during elections was not unusual and urged residents not to panic.

However, he called on security agencies to respond decisively to cases of violence and alleged extrajudicial killings, while urging the government to intensify public sensitisation ahead of the election.

With the August 15 poll only days away, attention is now focused on how security agencies will manage identified flashpoints across Osun.

The competing claims by APC and Accord over the deaths of their members have also raised concerns about possible retaliation.

Stakeholders have consequently urged political parties and their supporters to exercise restraint, while calling on security agencies to ensure that the massive deployment is used to protect voters and maintain peace rather than intimidate the electorate.