Osun State Leaders Pledge Non-Violence Ahead of August Election

Stakeholders in Osun State, including the state government and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), convened a security summit in Osogbo on July 13 to ensure a credible governorship election on August 15, 2026. Ademola Adeleke, the Governor of Osun State, pledged the government's support for security agencies and emphasized adherence to the rule of law.

To secure the process, INEC announced the deployment of 3,753 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices and risk management technology. These measures follow reports from the Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI) stating that 56 election-related violent incidents have already occurred in the state, resulting in 14 deaths.

Furthering these peace efforts, the Osun Development Association (ODA) is organizing the Osun 2026 Democratic Governance, Peace and Electoral Integrity Summit on July 16 in Osogbo. The summit seeks to establish a Peace Charter and a Governance Accountability Charter, requiring governorship candidates to commit to non-violence and issue-based campaigning. To ensure accountability, the ODA will partner with the Transition Monitoring Group to monitor compliance with the charter for three months after the election.