INEC, Ooni Raise Concern Over Rising Tension Ahead of Osun Governorship Election

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), and the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, have expressed concern over rising political tension ahead of the August 15, 2026, Osun State governorship election, urging political actors to shun violence and uphold peaceful conduct.

The appeal came on Tuesday when the INEC chairman began a five-day readiness assessment tour of Osun State with a courtesy visit to the Ooni’s palace in Ile-Ife.

Addressing the monarch, Prof. Amupitan said no political ambition was worth the loss of human lives, urging politicians and their supporters to conduct themselves peacefully throughout the electoral process.

«”The blood of one innocent person is not worth a governorship election. Nobody should be killed or threatened or embarrassed because of an election,” he said.»

The INEC chairman said the Osun governorship poll would serve as a major test of the commission’s preparedness for the 2027 general elections.

He disclosed that 2,339,233 registered voters are expected to participate in the election across 3,763 polling units, 332 registration areas and 30 local government areas.

Amupitan also warned against the spread of misinformation and disinformation, expressing concern that artificial intelligence could be used to generate fake election results capable of misleading voters and creating unnecessary tension.

He urged political parties and supporters to rely only on verified information released by INEC and cautioned against vote-buying and other electoral malpractices that could undermine the credibility of the election.

The INEC chairman assured voters that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) would be fully deployed, stressing that no vote would be counted without proper accreditation.

Responding, the Ooni of Ife said traditional rulers across Osun had become increasingly worried about the prevailing political atmosphere in the state.

He urged INEC to remain impartial and ensure that the governorship election is free, fair and credible.

According to the monarch, traditional rulers had extensively discussed the growing political tension before the INEC chairman’s visit and appealed to politicians to embrace peace.

The Ooni also commended Prof. Amupitan’s leadership of the electoral commission and expressed confidence in his ability to deliver a credible electoral process.

At the end of the visit, the monarch presented the INEC chairman with a bronze acrylic artwork as a symbol of goodwill and friendship.

The five-day readiness tour will see the INEC chairman meet with political parties, traditional rulers, security agencies and other critical stakeholders ahead of the election. The commission is also expected to convene an expanded stakeholders’ meeting and supervise the signing of a peace accord by political parties and candidates contesting the governorship poll.