The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room has urged residents of Osun State to turn out for Saturday’s governorship election and protect their right to vote without intimidation, harassment or violence.

The convener of the group, Yinusa Ya’u, made the call on Friday in Osogbo, urging eligible voters not to allow politicians, thugs or purveyors of disinformation to prevent them from participating in the election.

Ya’u said security agencies must ensure that voters can travel to polling units, cast their ballots and return home safely. He particularly urged authorities to protect women, persons with disabilities, older people and other groups that could be disproportionately affected by insecurity.

He advised voters to reject violence, avoid confrontations at polling units, verify information before sharing it and report threats or incidents through appropriate channels.

The Situation Room expressed concern over the tense political atmosphere preceding the election, citing reports of politically motivated violence, clashes, intimidation, political thuggery, deaths and arrests, as well as increasingly hostile rhetoric from political parties and their supporters.

Ya’u disclosed that the Independent National Electoral Commission had identified 385 election flashpoints across Osun, while Situation Room partners, including Kimpact Development Initiative and CLEEN Foundation, had identified 13 of the state’s 30 local government areas as critical and high-risk areas for election-related violence.

He also called on security agencies to be proactive in tackling vote-buying, saying offenders should be apprehended without necessarily waiting for election officials to identify them.