Politics
Osun 2026: Violence fears mount as Davido urges Trump
CONCERNS over the safety and credibility of Saturday’s governorship election in Osun State have intensified, with civil society organisations, election monitors and residents raising alarms over reported political violence in the state.
The latest warning came from music star David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, who appealed to United States President Donald Trump and the international community to pay close attention to the August 15 election.
In a short statement released on his X handle, Davido, whose uncle is one of the contestants, said there were growing concerns about tension, violence, intimidation and possible disruption of the democratic process in the state.
“Osun people deserve to exercise their constitutional right to vote freely, peacefully, and without fear,” he said.
He urged the US government to intervene ahead of the election to ensure that voters are protected.
“We do not want bloodshed. We do not want intimidation. We want peace, transparency, and a free and fair election,” he said.
The ICIR reports that Davido’s warning came amid heightened tensions among residents and warnings from civil society organisations and election-monitoring groups over the security situation in Osun ahead of the poll.
On Monday, August 10, some women took to the streets of Osogbo, the state capital, to protest alleged political violence, killings and intimidation ahead of the election.
The protesters marched through the streets carrying placards and chanting against political violence and killings in the state. Their placards bore inscriptions such as “Stop Electoral Violence,” “We Want Ballots, Not Bullets,” “Election Is Not War,” “Vote, Don’t Fight,” and “Stop the Killings in Osun.”
They called on the authorities to ensure residents could reach their polling units, vote freely and return home safely.
The protesters also demanded the redeployment of Osun Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, alleging perceived partisanship.
Civil society groups raise concerns
Earlier in July, security threat assessment by Partners West Africa-Nigeria (PWAN) rated the security risk surrounding the election as high, identifying electoral violence, political thuggery and targeted killings as the most immediate threats.
The report also identified kidnapping, cultism, porous borders, misinformation, vote buying and perceived partisanship by security agencies as factors that could worsen the situation.
According to the assessment, verified electoral incidents had accelerated as the election approached, with shootings, assaults, threats, intimidation and destruction of property recorded across the state.
The Network of Civil Society Groups in Osun State has similarly expressed concern over persistent political violence, killings, intimidation and attacks on political actors and residents, warning that the trend could undermine confidence in the electoral process.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M
