Osun poll: Politicians must honour peace accord, says INEC
August 13, 2026 8:49 pm
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan.
By Deborah Musa
The Independent National Electoral Commission has urged political parties and their candidates participating in Saturday’s Osun State governorship election to honour the peace accord they signed and commit themselves to a peaceful poll.
The Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, made the call on Thursday while speaking on Morning Express on ADBN TV, amid concerns over rising tensions ahead of the election.
Candidates of political parties contesting in the August 15, Osun governorship election on July 30, signed a peace accord organised by the National Peace Committee to ensure a non-violent poll in the state.
A total of 14 political parties signed the accord at an event presided over by the NPC convener, the Catholic bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah.
Oketola recalled how the NPC in collaboration with INEC, facilitated the accord as a public commitment by political actors to maintain peace and abide by the law before, during and after the election.
He said, “The Peace Accord, you know, that was put together by the National Peace Committee in collaboration with INEC, it wasn’t just a jamboree.
“It is important for all of us to understand that it was a public component by political parties with the people of Osun State that come what way, we will maintain peace and order and ensure that we maintain discipline and do everything by the law on election day.
“So, it is important for political actors to honour that Peace Accord. That is why it will continue to be relevant. If we know that the Peace Accord means nothing, why are we organising it? So first, the political parties have made a public commitment. We must honour it.”
Oketola said INEC had conducted a comprehensive assessment of the state ahead of the election and engaged political parties, traditional institutions, voting blocs and civil society organisations over concerns about possible violence.
He, however, acknowledged that tensions had escalated since the commission’s stakeholders’ engagement in the state.
“I concede that there have been tensions in Osun run up to today,” he said.
He however aadded that INEC has deployed a large team led by its chairman and national commissioners to assess the state’s preparedness for the poll.
According to him, the commission is confident that the election will be conducted in a secure environment, noting that the police had announced the deployment of 15,000 personnel to the state.
He said, “Election will be held in Osun in a very secure environment.”
Oketola also disclosed that INEC had completed the deployment of non-sensitive materials to the local government areas, while the deployment of sensitive materials from the Central Bank of Nigeria vaults to the local government offices would begin on Friday.
He said the sensitive materials would subsequently be moved to Registration Area Centres, where officials would camp overnight ahead of election day.
“By election day, I can bet you that all the 3,700 polling units in Osun State should have the presence of RAC officials by 8 o’clock, and by 8.30, voting should start,” he said.
On the commission’s technology, Oketola said INEC had tested its systems through a mock accreditation exercise and was satisfied with the outcome.
He said the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System had been configured and upgraded, while the commission had increased its backup devices from about 600 to more than 1,300 to address possible technical challenges.
“We are putting in a lot of safeguards, and it can’t be bypassed by anyone. So, it’s been configured, and the election will hold,” he said.
Oketola urged voters to disregard misinformation and disinformation, warning against the generalisation of isolated technical incidents as evidence of a failure of the electoral system.
“If there are glitches in one or two polling units, it is not enough for any political actor to come to town and say that BVAs has failed. No, INEC cannot run an election with an outdated version. We are a serious organisation,” he said.
He further disclosed that INEC would operate situational rooms in Osogbo and Abuja to monitor the election, with systems allowing officials to track developments at polling units and communicate with presiding officers where necessary.
Oketola said more than 2.3 million registered voters were eligible to participate in the election, urging them to obtain credible information through INEC’s verified communication channels.
He also appealed to voters who observe irregularities to remain calm, avoid confrontation and report such incidents through the appropriate channels.
“If you are in a polling unit and you notice irregularities, first, we would encourage such voters to be calm, don’t confront, don’t resort to self-help,” he said.
Oketola identified vote buying as one of the major threats to the credibility of elections, warning political actors and voters against attempting to circumvent the law through digital transactions.
“Vote buying is criminal, is against the law, is against the electoral act. The electoral act has provided legal liabilities for both the buyers and the sellers,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to participate actively in the election, stressing that credible elections required the collective efforts of INEC, security agencies, political actors and voters.
“You see, in any election whatsoever, INEC does not have a candidate.
“What we all need to do is to come together, further entrench our democracy, and go out on election day,” Oketola said.
Deborah Musa is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with five years of experience in journalism, including three years covering the judiciary. She focuses on producing accurate, well-researched reports that provide clarity on legal and justice-related issues. Deborah’s work reflects hands-on newsroom experience and editorial diligence.
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