The build-up to Saturday’s Osun State governorship election has been marked by rising political tension, allegations of violence and intimidation, a dispute over the state’s finances and a last-minute change to the ballot, with barely 48 hours to the poll.
The development has raised concerns over the safety of voters and political actors as the major parties intensify their final mobilisation across the state.
The All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Munirudeen Oyebamiji, on Wednesday made the state’s finances a major campaign issue, challenging Governor Ademola Adeleke over the resources available to his administration.
This came as the Accord Party raised allegations of intimidation of its members, while the police have summoned Senator Francis Fadahunsi over comments in a viral video allegedly calling for attacks against opposition supporters.
The African Democratic Congress also alleged a plan to arrest its National Secretary and former Osun governor, Rauf Aregbesola.
Oyebamiji, who challenged the narrative surrounding the financial position inherited by the Adeleke administration, disputed claims that the incumbent government came into office with an empty treasury.
Speaking at an Arise TV town hall meeting in Osun, Oyebamiji maintained that the administration of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola left about ₦15 billion for its successor.
He questioned the extent to which the state’s current revenue inflows had translated into tangible development across the state.
According to him, the economic reforms introduced by President Bola Tinubu had substantially increased federal allocations to states, thereby giving the Adeleke administration access to more resources than previous governments.
Oyebamiji argued that the increased revenue should be reflected in infrastructure, public services, employment and economic opportunities.
“In three and a half years of Adeleke, they have collected ₦650 billion. How does ₦650 billion match what we see in Osun today?” he asked.
The APC candidate said the financial resources available to the present government were unprecedented in the state’s history.
“The resources available to the present administration in Osun have never been available to any governor of this state in this manner,” Oyebamiji said.
He promised that an APC administration would focus on transparency, prudent financial management and equitable allocation of resources.
Oyebamiji said Osun residents deserved a government capable of converting public revenue into visible improvements in their daily lives.
Former Governor Gboyega Oyetola, now Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, raised concerns about the condition of roads across the state and argued that development should not be concentrated in selected areas.
He said an APC administration under Oyebamiji would prioritise roads, education, primary healthcare and other basic services.
*Fear of violence, vote-buying grips state
As the parties intensify their final mobilisation, concerns over violence have become a major feature of the election build-up.
The Accord Party has asked security agencies to investigate a viral video it said contained threatening comments against its members and supporters.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Joseph Omorogbe, said the atmosphere surrounding the election was becoming increasingly tense and urged security agencies to act decisively against anyone threatening the peace.
“Accord is preparing for an election, not war. No political ambition is worth the blood of fellow citizens,” Omorogbe said.
The party also alleged that more than 60 of its members were being detained in Abuja and Nasarawa states and demanded their release.
The allegations have added to concerns about the conduct of the election, particularly the treatment of opposition supporters and the ability of political parties to campaign freely until voting day.
An APC chieftain in Osun, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, also appealed to politicians and voters to reject violence and embrace peaceful political engagement.
Oyintiloye spoke during an empowerment programme for informal-sector workers at his campaign office in Ibokun, Obokun Local Government Area, where he also mobilised support for the APC governorship candidate.
He urged political actors to demonstrate restraint and ensure that disagreements over the election did not result in attacks on opponents.
“The APC remains a peaceful political party,” Oyintiloye said.
The programme attracted artisans and informal-sector operators, including barbers, hairdressers, fumigators, welders, textile workers, tailors, electricians, market men and women, commercial motorcyclists and members of the Nigeria Automobile Technicians Association.
Members of the Igede, Idoma and Tiv communities from Benue State residing in Obokun also participated in the event.
Oyintiloye said the initiative was intended to support residents whose livelihoods depend on their businesses and skills, while urging them to vote for APC candidate Oyebamiji.
He promised that an APC administration would prioritise economic empowerment, skills development and inclusive governance.
*Security quizzes Fadahunsi over alleged threats
The security concerns deepened following the invitation of Senator Francis Fadahunsi by the Osun State Police Command over a viral video in which he was allegedly heard calling for attacks against members of the Accord Party.
The command described the footage as a matter of “serious concern”. It directed the senator to appear before the State Criminal Investigation Department in Osogbo to clarify the circumstances surrounding the alleged remarks.
The police invitation followed widespread reactions to the video, with the senator allegedly instructing APC supporters to “kill” members of the rival party if encountered during the electoral process in parts of the state.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, the Osun State Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, said the senator would be questioned despite his status as a serving lawmaker.
“He is a senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We are not talking about immunity here,” Ojelabi said.
He said the police wanted Fadahunsi to personally explain the context and meaning of the words attributed to him rather than rely on external interpretations of the video.
“Let the speaker come and explain what he meant in the video because I might try to interpret it and might be different from what he meant,” the police spokesman said.
The police said the senator had been formally invited and that the outcome of his interaction with investigators would be made public.
Fadahunsi, however, rejected the allegation that he was calling for indiscriminate attacks, describing the viral footage as a deliberate distortion of his remarks.
He said he was responding to what he described as the continued killing of APC members allegedly by thugs associated with the Accord Party in Ilesa.
“The video was deliberately edited to distort what I actually said,” Fadahunsi said.
The senator maintained that he was referring to retaliation if alleged attacks against APC members continued.
“If the killings do not stop, we shall also retaliate,” he said.
Fadahunsi accused those who circulated the video of extracting less than two minutes from a much longer speech to portray his comments differently from the context in which they were made.
The controversy has now placed the issue of inflammatory political statements firmly on the security agenda ahead of Saturday’s poll.
Meanwhile, Governor Adeleke subsequently demanded the arrest and investigation of Fadahunsi, describing the alleged statement as a serious threat to security in the state.
Adeleke, who is seeking another term on the Accord Party platform, accused the senator of inciting violence against members of the opposition party and urged the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, to intervene.
The governor said the matter had moved beyond ordinary political disagreement and required urgent security attention.
“This is now beyond politics. This is now a national security threat,” Adeleke said.
He called for an immediate investigation and arrest of the senator, saying nobody should be above the law.
Adeleke also accused security operatives of carrying out what he described as illegal arrests of Accord Party leaders across local government areas.
He appealed to the police and the Department of State Services to investigate the allegations against Fadahunsi and ensure that the electoral process was not compromised by violence.
*ADC raises alarm over alleged Aregbesola arrest plan
Meanwhile, another opposition party, the African Democratic Congress, has raised concerns over what it described as a plan to arrest its National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, ahead of the election.
The party said it had received what it described as credible information about an alleged plan to arrest the former governor in the final days before the poll.
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC linked the alleged plan to what it described as a pattern of intimidation and harassment of opposition groups.
“Given the pattern of intimidation, harassment and misuse of state institutions that has increasingly characterised the conduct of this government towards the opposition, we cannot afford to dismiss these reports,” Abdullahi said.
The party acknowledged that security agencies had the right to invite Aregbesola if there were legitimate grounds for doing so, but insisted that any such action should follow due process.
The ADC argued that arresting its National Secretary immediately before the election could affect the party’s ability to coordinate its operations and mobilise supporters.
“An arrest on the eve of an election in which his party is participating would invite only one reasonable conclusion: that the purpose is to prevent him from leading and coordinating the party’s election activities,” the party said.
The party warned the Federal Government and security agencies against actions capable of undermining the credibility of the election.
“The eyes of Nigerians are on Osun,” Abdullahi said.
It also cautioned against any action that could plunge the state into crisis on the eve of voting.
*INEC adds SDP candidate to ballot
In another development capable of affecting the final preparations for the election, INEC has added SDP governorship candidate Francis Ajala and his running mate, Faseke Babajimi Oladipo, to the ballot.
The decision followed a Federal High Court judgment directing the electoral commission to recognise and process Ajala’s candidacy.
INEC consequently announced that it would reproduce the ballot papers and result sheets to accommodate the SDP ticket.
The adjustment increases the number of political parties participating in Saturday’s election to 15.
The commission said the revised materials were expected to arrive in Osun on Thursday, August 13, before being moved to the various Local Government Area offices for distribution.
The development comes just two days before voters are scheduled to decide who will govern the state for the next four years.
INEC’s decision follows the court’s directive and underscores the late changes that have characterised preparations for the election.
With the campaign entering its final hours, the competing parties are now focused on their last-minute mobilisation, while security agencies confront allegations of incitement, intimidation and possible political violence.
