Oyintiloye Urges Peaceful Osun Poll, Warns Against Political Violence

An All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain in Osun State, Hon. Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has called on political parties, candidates and their supporters to maintain peace before, during and after the August 15 governorship election.

Oyintiloye made the appeal on Sunday in Osogbo while speaking with journalists amid rising political tension ahead of the poll.

The former lawmaker urged political stakeholders to reject violence and allow the election to take place in a peaceful atmosphere, stressing that no political ambition was worth the life of any citizen.

He warned that heightened political tension should not create fear among residents or discourage eligible voters from exercising their constitutional right to vote.

Oyintiloye also addressed concerns over the deployment of security personnel across the state, urging residents not to interpret the presence of security operatives as a reason for alarm.

According to him, increased security deployment is a normal preventive measure during elections and could be based on intelligence available to the Federal Government.

He urged Osun residents to remain calm, vigilant and courageous while participating in the electoral process.

“Osun voters must not allow fear to discourage them from exercising their civic rights,” he said.

“They should come out in large numbers to vote. The presence of security should reassure our people that adequate measures are in place to protect them and ensure a peaceful process.”

Oyintiloye said the participation of citizens was crucial to strengthening democracy, urging voters to focus on choosing their preferred candidates through the ballot rather than allowing political disagreements to degenerate into violence.

He further called on candidates and party supporters to respect the rules of the election and accept the outcome of a credible process.

The August 15 governorship election is expected to be closely contested, with political parties intensifying campaigns and mobilisation across the state.

Oyintiloye maintained that all stakeholders had a responsibility to protect the peace and ensure that the election did not result in loss of lives or destruction of property.