Women across Osun State on Monday took to the streets in a peaceful march, demanding a free, fair and violence-free governorship election on August 15, declaring emphatically: “We want elections, not war.”
The women, who marched with leaves in their hands as symbols of peace, called on security agencies, political parties and other stakeholders to protect the integrity of the electoral process and prevent the state from being plunged into violence.
Chanting “We want elections, not war,” the protesters said they were interested in exercising their civic rights and choosing their leaders, rather than becoming victims of political violence.
Their protest came against the backdrop of growing political tension and a series of allegations of attacks, intimidation and violence in different parts of the state barely days before the election.
The latest development has heightened concerns over the safety of voters and the credibility of the August 15 contest, with rival political camps trading accusations over alleged attempts to manipulate or disrupt the electoral process.
On Monday, the Imole Campaign Council, the campaign organisation of Governor Ademola Adeleke, alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) was attempting to pressure the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) into ending voting by noon in selected local government areas during Saturday’s election.
In a statement issued in Osogbo and signed by its spokesman, Pelumi Olajengbesi, the council claimed it had received “credible intelligence” of an alleged plan to truncate voting at 12:00 noon instead of the normal 2:30pm closing time.
According to the campaign council, the alleged move was targeted at areas regarded as strongholds of Governor Adeleke and could disenfranchise thousands of eligible voters.
The APC has not, in the material provided, publicly confirmed the allegation.
The controversy followed an earlier attack on an Accord Party office in Ilesa, where suspected thugs reportedly vandalised the facility and destroyed chairs, campaign banners and other equipment.
The attack, said to have occurred on Saturday, August 8, forced party supporters to flee, according to accounts cited by SaharaReporters.
A party source described the incident as an attempt to create fear within the party’s support base ahead of the election.
Tension also reportedly escalated in Ilesa following the alleged shooting of a 12-year-old boy during an APC campaign rally on Saturday morning.
The boy was said to have been sitting inside his mother’s shop when gunshots were fired during the campaign.
An eyewitness alleged that the Chief Whip of the Osun State House of Assembly, Wale Akerele, was present at the scene alongside operatives of the Amotekun Corps. The allegation requires independent verification.
Meanwhile, the Imole Campaign Council has made further allegations concerning the conduct of security authorities in the state.
The council claimed that Osun State Commissioner for Environment, Mayowa Anjoorin, was abducted during an attack involving Accord Party leaders in Ilesa.
It also accused the Osun State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, of holding a secret late-night meeting with APC chieftains and alleged that the police commissioner was enabling attacks and intimidation against Accord Party members.
The allegations were contained in a statement issued in Osogbo on Saturday, August 8, and addressed to the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu. The statement was signed by Bamidele Sallam, Chairman of the Media and Publicity Sub-Committee of the Imole Campaign Organisation.
The allegations have added another layer of controversy to an already tense electoral atmosphere, with political parties and their supporters increasingly accusing one another of actions capable of undermining the poll.
But amid the accusations, the women’s message was stark and simple: they want to vote, not fight.
Their march has placed the safety and freedom of ordinary voters at the centre of the final days of the election campaign, with the women demanding that political actors settle their differences through the ballot box rather than through violence.
As Osun counts down to August 15, the greatest test may not only be who wins the election, but whether voters can walk into polling units without fear, cast their ballots freely and return home safely.