The governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, has called for sanctions and visa bans against opposition leaders in the state, accusing them of aiding and abetting political violence ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
Governor’s Call for Sanctions
A statement signed by the governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, said Adeleke urged the international community to impose sanctions on politicians and security officials found to be sponsoring or enabling political violence. He noted that the named politicians were allegedly encouraging violence through their supporters, resulting in killings and gun attacks across the state.
Zero Tolerance for Violence
While commending security chiefs for their efforts to curb the violence, Adeleke insisted that those responsible for instigating attacks must be held accountable, regardless of political affiliation. He declared, “I have zero tolerance for violence. I have told the Inspector General of Police that if my son is involved, he should be arrested.”
“I told the world we harbour no thugs anywhere and the police can and should arrest any suspect. There must be strict law enforcement,” he added.
Accord Party Casualties
The governor’s remarks came amid reports of another Accord Party member killed in Ijebu‑Jesa, raising the number of Accord members allegedly killed since the start of the 2026 political campaigns to five, with 15 others sustaining critical injuries in attacks allegedly carried out by suspected opposition thugs.
Appeal to Security Agencies
Adeleke urged security agencies to investigate and prosecute both perpetrators and their alleged sponsors, arguing that publicly available statements and actions by some opposition leaders justify the call for international sanctions.
“I believe we must have a deterrent against those promoting political violence. We seek a visa ban against politicians sponsoring killings and violent attacks. We advocate for similar sanctions against security chiefs aiding and abetting such anti‑democratic activities,” he said.
“Election is not about bloodshed. Osun deserves the peace and freedom to make their choice about who governs them. There must be consequences for those deliberately endangering the lives of our people for selfish political gains,” the governor concluded.
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