Osun Poll: NBA Warns Against Violence, Urges Police Neutrality

NBA President Afam Osigwe says Osun has recorded 73 election-related violence incidents and urges security agencies to remain neutral ahead of Saturday’s poll.

The outgoing President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Afam Osigwe, has condemned the rising cases of political killings and violence in Osun State ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.

Osigwe, who addressed journalists in Osogbo, the state capital, on Wednesday, said he was in the state with his team to monitor the electoral process.

He expressed concern over the attacks recorded in the build-up to the election and urged politicians to rein in their supporters and end the violence.

According to Osigwe, available data indicated that about 73 reported election-related violence incidents had been recorded in the state, while one report put the death toll at about 29 between May and July.

He said the situation appeared to have worsened in recent weeks, with threats also issued by some individuals.

“From all the feedback and all the reports we have got, the violence that has taken place in Osun State and which is related to this election is not spontaneous. They are orchestrated; they are planned and coordinated,” Osigwe said.

He identified Osogbo and Ilesa as emerging flashpoints, saying the two areas accounted for more than half of the reported cases of election-related violence.

Osigwe warned against using violence to intimidate voters, prevent them from exercising their franchise or undermine the integrity of the electoral process.

He also appealed to security personnel deployed for the election to remain neutral and perform their statutory duties professionally.

He noted that policemen, civil defence officers, correctional officers, NDLEA personnel, paramedics and soldiers had been deployed across the state.

While commending security agencies for their efforts, the NBA president urged them not to use their presence to favour any political party.

He said their responsibility should be to protect INEC officials, voters and other participants in the electoral process.

Osigwe stressed that the whole world was watching the Osun election and urged stakeholders to ensure that the poll produced an outcome capable of inspiring confidence in the electoral process.

He expressed hope that the election would be peaceful and would prove wrong those expecting violence to disrupt the exercise.