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Charges Osun People to Reject Politics of Threats, Electoral Intimidation
- Safiu Kehinde
A civil society organisation, Mekunnu Koya, has warned President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress, against imposing their candidate on the people of Osun State.
Alleging apparent use of what is known in local parlance as “Federal might” the group charged voters to reject any politics of threat and electoral intimidation as they go to poll for the 2026 Osun Governorship Election.
Mekunnu Koya gave the charge and warning in a statement issued on Wednesday by its convener, Comrade Wale Balogun.
As contained in the statement, Balogun decried the growing pattern of threats, intimidation and inflammatory political rhetoric surrounding the forthcoming Osun election.
He maintained that the rhetorics are deeply disturbing and must concern every democrat, traditional ruler, religious leader, civil society organisation and responsible citizen of Nigeria.
Coupled with the latest threatening rhetoric made by the APC Senator representing Osun East Senatorial District, Francis Fadahunsi, who charged the party’s supporters to kill any member of the Accord Party they see, Balogun also recalled previous inflammatory remarks made by some popular APC supporters.
‘The recent statements by Mustapha Adekunle, popularly known as Sego, Sunday Adeyemo Igboho, Alhaja Falilat Yusuf, popularly known as Ero-Arike, and Senator Francis Fadahunsi are too serious to be dismissed as ordinary political rhetoric.
‘Mustapha Adekunle, in a viral video, threatened those opposed to the APC in the 2027 general elections, saying: “Ẹniti kò bá ti ṣe ti APC l’Eko, a jẹun nílé a lọ ṣán ọwọ́ l’odo.” – Whoever does not support APC in Lagos, will eat here on earth and clean up in heaven.
‘Following public outcry, he was reportedly invited by the police, after which the matter appeared to disappear without any meaningful public accountability.
‘Sunday Adeyemo Igboho, following his declaration of support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second-term ambition, also warned opposition candidates against coming to campaign anywhere in Yorubaland, saying: “Anybody o gbọdọ wa sí ilẹ Yoruba lati wa campaign, a fi kí wọn wọ bàtà, canvass láti sare.”- Nobody must come to Yorubaland to campaign. They should prepare to run if they do.
‘Such threats have no place in a democracy.
‘In Osun, Alhaja Falilat Yusuf, popularly known as Ero-Arike, was captured in a viral video while distributing APC food items and warned beneficiaries who might collect the party’s money and food without voting for its candidate, Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji. In the words attributed to her:
“If you collect money and food from me from the APC and you don’t vote for Oyebamiji, your children will never succeed. They will never be profitable in life.”
‘She has also been seen in another circulating video boasting about possessing a gun which she would use when the time comes. These are not statements that responsible security agencies should ignore.’ The Mekunnu Koya convener wrote.
He maintained that the statement by Senator Francis Fadahunsi, inciting his listeners against members of the Accord Party, is equally disturbing.
‘The matter is even more troubling because he expressly asked his audience to record him and allow the statement to go viral. Any attempt to subsequently distort or change the narrative cannot erase what was said.
‘The cumulative effect of these threats is dangerous.’ He said.
Balogun held that when political actors and their supporters repeatedly speak the language of violence, while security agencies fail to act decisively, they create an atmosphere in which political violence can become normalised.
The CSO leader reminded the APC of the dark past of political violence in the Southwest region including the infamous Operation Wetie and the 1983 crisis in old Ondo State.
‘We must also remind Nigerians that this is not the first time the Yoruba political space has paid an enormous price for electoral manipulation and political intolerance.
‘Operation Wetie remains one of the darkest warnings in Nigeria’s democratic history.
‘The crisis associated with the disputed Western Region elections of the 1960s produced arson, killings, reprisals and a devastating breakdown of political order. Ibadan, then the capital of the Western Region, became one of the major centres of the crisis.
‘The violence eventually became part of the chain of events preceding the collapse of the First Republic.
‘The experience of 1983 provides another unmistakable lesson. The UPN government of Chief Adekunle Ajasin in the old Ondo State was confronted with an attempt to overturn the popular mandate of the electorate and impose Akin Omoboriowo after the disputed gubernatorial election.
‘The declaration triggered widespread violence across the state. The crisis only subsided after the legal and political process restored Ajasin’s mandate.’ He said.
Balogun maintained that the lesson from both episodes clearly revealed that Yoruba people have historically resisted attempts to use federal power to overturn their democratic choices, and the consequences of such imposition have never been pleasant for the government responsible.
He thereafter charged Tinubu against following same thread through imposition of the APC candidate on Osun people.
Balogun held that the federal government may possess power, but the people possess the mandate, adding that no government should mistake institutional strength for permanent political legitimacy.
‘President Bola Ahmed Tinubu should therefore not heed Machiavelli at the expense of Yoruba political history, nor toe the path of Bonaparte by believing that federal might can permanently suppress the will of the people.
‘History teaches that political power obtained through coercion and imposed against the popular will carries within it the seeds of its own crisis.
‘President Tinubu should remember the lessons of the Yoruba resistance to federal might in the First Republic and the 1983 Ondo experience.
‘Osun must therefore reject every attempt to convert an election into a contest of intimidation, violence and political survival.
‘We therefore reject any plan to manufacture victory for any unpopular candidate through manipulation, intimidation, security-force intimidation, compromised collation or electoral malpractice.’ He said.
Balogun reiterated that no institution should be used to impose Bola Oyebamiji or any other candidate on the people of Osun as he called for free and fair conduct of the election.
‘If Oyebamiji wins, let him win through the freely expressed votes of Osun people. If another candidate wins, that candidate must equally be allowed to win.
‘We call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, INEC Chairman Professor Joash Amupitan and Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu to guarantee a free, fair and peaceful election.’ The Mekunnu Koya convener said.
He also charged security agencies to desist from selective enforcement in tackling threats.
Balogun charged Osun people to refuse intimidation and vote for the candidate of their choice.
‘Security agencies must investigate credible threats irrespective of the political affiliation of those making them. Selective enforcement will only deepen public distrust.
‘We equally call on the people of Osun to stand firm and refuse intimidation.
‘Vote for the candidate of your choice. Do not surrender your conscience or democratic mandate to threats, inducements or coercion.
‘Remain vigilant, document irregularities where possible and defend your votes through peaceful and lawful means.
‘We shall resist electoral intimidation through lawful democratic action. We shall reject rigging through vigilance, evidence, legal challenge and the collective determination of the electorate. We shall defend the sanctity of every legitimate vote.
‘Osun belongs to its people. The ballot belongs to the voter. The mandate belongs to whoever the people freely choose.
‘Let the ballot decide, not the bullet.’ He added.