A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, Mutali Adisa, has sparked fresh concerns over the safety and credibility of Saturday’s governorship election after warning residents of Ikire who would not vote for the party’s candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, not to attempt to “cross the gutter” in the town on election day.
Adisa, the Seriki of Ikire and a prominent supporter of Oyebamiji, issued the warning on Tuesday while addressing APC supporters in Ikire, the hometown of the party’s governorship candidate.
A video of the address showed Adisa expressing confidence that Oyebamiji had already secured victory in the election, saying the APC candidate only needed to obtain a strong percentage of the votes in his hometown.
“We are sure of victory given all the works we have done in the campaign. Ambo (referring to the APC candidate) is sure of victory, what he needs is percentage in Ikire, he has won already,” Adisa said.
However, he subsequently issued a warning apparently directed at residents who may choose not to support the APC candidate at the polls.
“We should however tell those who are not willing to vote for Ambo the truth, they should not even try to cross the gutter on election day in Ikire,” he said.
The remark has raised concerns over the language being used by political actors in Osun State as parties intensify campaigns ahead of the August 15, 2026 governorship election.
The statement is coming against the backdrop of growing allegations of inflammatory political rhetoric, intimidation and threats of violence involving political actors and supporters ahead of the poll.
On Wednesday, human rights lawyer and activist, Deji Adeyanju, disclosed that he and his colleagues had petitioned the governments of the United States, United Kingdom and Canada to consider visa restrictions against Senator Francis Fadahunsi over his alleged role in what they described as efforts to engineer violence against members of the Accord Party ahead of the election.
Adeyanju made the disclosure while speaking on Arise TV, where he condemned what he described as an unacceptable escalation in political rhetoric and alleged threats against members and supporters of the opposition party.
According to Adeyanju, the petition was addressed to the diplomatic missions of the three countries and sought sanctions against Fadahunsi over remarks which he alleged could amount to encouraging or facilitating political violence.
The development followed a separate incident involving Fadahunsi, who represents Osun East Senatorial District in the National Assembly.
On Tuesday, the Osun State Police Command summoned Fadahunsi over a statement allegedly made during an APC campaign rally in Ilesa, Osun State, where he was reportedly heard threatening to “kill” members of the Accord Party.
The police invitation came amid heightened political activities across the state and increasing concerns about possible violence, intimidation and threats against opposition supporters as the election approaches.
In a letter dated August 11, 2026, the police directed Fadahunsi to appear before the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Osogbo at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, August 12.
The invitation was signed by Samuel Etaifo Erale, the Commissioner of Police in charge of elections in Osun State.
The police said Fadahunsi was expected to clarify the circumstances surrounding the statement allegedly made during his address at the APC campaign programme in Ilesa on Tuesday.
The latest controversy involving Adisa has therefore added another layer to concerns surrounding political conduct and the safety of voters in Osun State ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.
With the election only days away, political parties and their supporters are expected to intensify mobilisation across the state, while security agencies face increasing pressure to ensure that voters are able to freely participate in the electoral process without intimidation, threats or violence.
The statement attributed to Adisa has particularly drawn attention because of its apparent reference to preventing residents who do not support the APC candidate from moving freely within Ikire on election day.
The remark has also heightened scrutiny of political statements coming from campaign platforms as stakeholders continue to call for restraint, peaceful conduct and respect for voters’ constitutional right to freely choose their preferred candidates at the ballot.