Seventeen days before the August 15, 2026 Osun State governorship election, Governor Ademola Adeleke, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, and twelve other contenders have signed a peace accord ahead of the poll.

Who Attended the Signing Ceremony?

Besides the governor and the APC candidate, the ceremony featured the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) standard‑bearer Adewale Adebayo and the African Action Congress (AAC) candidate Olajide Esan. Representatives of the fourteen political parties contesting the election were present; absent candidates were represented by party officials.

Representations and Notable Absences

Oyebamiji was represented by his running mate, Kayode Adereti, and other APC leaders, while the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate Najeem Salam had his state chairman and party officials stand in for him.

Organisers and Key Witnesses

The accord was organised by the National Peace Committee (NPC) in collaboration with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). It was witnessed by NPC convener Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, the Inspector‑General of Police’s representative Assistant Inspector‑General Fasuba Olabode (Zone XI), and INEC Chairman Prof. Ojo Amupitan.

Traditional and Religious Leaders Present

Traditional rulers, led by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, attended the ceremony. Former Catholic Archbishop of Abuja Cardinal John Onaiyekan delivered the opening remarks, urging all political actors to uphold the peace accord.

Statements from the Peace Accord Signatories

Cardinal Onaiyekan said, “There is a need to embrace a peaceful poll. This election will go. I urge you to respect all the dictates of the Peace Accord you are all signing today.”

Police Assurance

The IGP’s representative, Fasuba Olabode, assured residents that police would act professionally before, during and after the election. He noted that officers assigned to election duties had already begun arriving in the state and that only recognised security agencies would be permitted to perform election‑related duties.

INEC’s Commitment to a Credible Vote

INEC Chairman Prof. Ojo Amupitan commended the NPC for the initiative, stating that the accord would support the commission’s efforts to conduct a peaceful election. He added that INEC is working with anti‑graft agencies and the Office of the Attorney‑General of the Federation to combat vote‑buying.

Amupitan further warned, “We are attacking vote‑buying head‑on. In direct synergy with the EFCC and ICPC and the Office of the Attorney‑General of the Federation, plainclothes financial intelligence officers will saturate polling unit perimeters. Anyone attempting to buy or sell votes, whether through physical cash or digital transfers, will be arrested and prosecuted under the Electoral Act 2026.”

Appeal from the Ooni of Ife

The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, appealed to residents not to allow politicians to use them to perpetrate violence or electoral malpractice. He reminded the crowd that “power belongs to the people; power is in the hands of all of us” and urged everyone to reject violence.

Expressing concern over rising political tension, the monarch warned, “The political tension is too much, and you know our political gladiators. I always tell everybody there is no permanent friend among them; we are the ones who will suffer. Later on, they will go and align and leave all of us behind. They are always aligning, agreeing, and disagreeing. But what is critical is that Osun is bigger than all of us.”