From David Onuoja, Abuja
The Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan and the Ooni of Ife, Imperial Majesty, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, has warned political stakeholders and trouble makers in Osun State against the forthcoming Governorship election in Osun State as tension increased.
The duo made the warning during a courtesy visit to the Ooni, at his Palace and five-day readiness assessment ahead of the August 15, 2026 governorship election in Osun State.
The INEC Chairman who led a team of National Commissioners, Resident Electoral Commissioner(REC) Osun State, among others to the palace, was received by his Royal fathers drawn from across the state, who had gathered to welcome him and his entourage.
He described Ile-Ife as the ancestral cradle of the Yoruba people and a historical beacon of peace and cultural unity in Nigeria, noting that the visit was both a cultural obligation and an institutional duty.
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Amupitan explained that INEC, as a creation of the Constitution, is empowered to conduct elections into the offices of the President, Vice President, Governors, Deputy Governors, the National and State Assemblies, as well as to register and deregister political parties, conduct referenda, and register voters nationwide.
INEC Boss revealed that his visit to the palace, ahead of any other engagement in the state, was deliberate, stressing that the Commission opted to travel by road rather than fly directly into Osun in order to begin its stakeholder engagements at the palace.
“Osun Election is a critical dress rehearsal for the 2027 general election, given its proximity to the national exercise, even as the state has 2,339,233 registered voters spread across 3,763 polling units in 332 registration areas within the 30 local government areas of the state, he said.
Prof. Amupitan used the opportunity to appealed to the Ooni and other traditional rulers present to use their influence and caution political actors against violence, describing elections as successful when they are peaceful, transparent, and concluded on time. “Election should be devoid of rancour and should not be treated as a do-or-die affairs.
“The blood of one innocent person is not worth a governorship election. Nobody should be killed or should be threatened or should be embarrassed just because of election,” he said.
He equally warned against the growing threat of misinformation and disinformation, including the risk of artificial intelligence being deployed to fabricate false results, and cautioned against vote-buying and other electoral vices.
Responding to Amupitan’s appeal, the Ooni of Ife, who spoke on behalf of the traditional rulers in attendance, commended Prof. Amupitan’s leadership, described him as competent and worthy of the office. But however, disclosed that rising political tension in Osun State had dominated hours of deliberation among the traditional rulers prior to the Chairman’s arrival, describing the situation as worrisome and unbearable.
He therefore, charged Prof. Amupitan to rise to the occasion as a just and fair umpire, noting that the responsibility of ensuring a free and credible election rested squarely on the Commission, as the government had provided every necessary support for INEC to discharge its duties independently. He also appealed to the Chairman to douse the prevailing tension and ensure that politicians and their supporters embraced peace ahead of the poll.
At the end of the visit, the Ooni presented to the INEC Chairman, an acrylic artwork made of bronze, which he said had been preserved in the palace for over ten thousand years, as a symbol of goodwill.
The visit forms part of activities marking Prof. Amupitan’s five-day stay in Osun State, during which he is expected to hold an Expanded Stakeholders’ Meeting and witness the signing of a peace accord by political parties and candidates ahead of the governorship election.
