Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Revolutionary Socialist Movement has issued a blistering condemnation of the escalating violence that has gripped Osun State in the run-up to Saturday's governorship election, demanding an immediate investigation and prosecution of individuals responsible for threats, attacks and killings as reports emerged that at least 29 people have been killed in 73 election-related violent incidents across the state. The group, in a statement issued on Thursday, August 13, 2026, and signed by its Publicity Secretary, Comrade Salako Kayode, said the toll of deaths and violence constituted "a frightening warning of what happens when elections become a battleground for politicians and their armed supporters".
The Revolutionary Socialist Movement (RSM) also expressed deep concern over alleged death threats issued by the Senator representing Osun East, Francis Fadahunsi, against members of the Accord Party in Ilesa ahead of the election. The group said, "It's disturbing that Osun East Senator Francis Fadahunsi issued death threats against members of the Accord Party in Ilesa ahead of Saturday's election." It added that if established, the alleged threats should not be dismissed as ordinary political rhetoric. "Such threats must not be dismissed as ordinary political rhetoric. We demand an immediate, transparent investigation and prosecution of anyone found responsible for threatening, attacking or killing political opponents, regardless of their party, position or connections," the statement said.
The violence has been well-documented by independent organisations. A report by the Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI), a pro-democracy and electoral reforms advocacy organisation, revealed that 73 election-related violent incidents resulting in 29 deaths have been recorded in the build-up to the August 15 governorship election in the state. The report identified 12 high-risk local government areas and called for targeted security operations and political interventions to prevent violence. It also said the violent incidents appeared to be strategically instigated in politically significant locations to suppress voter turnout. According to KDI, election-related incidents had become the principal source of violent activity in the state during the pre-election period. The assessment also found that 78 per cent of the election-related violence, 54 of the 73 incidents, occurred between May and July 2026 as political campaigns intensified. Osogbo emerged as the principal hotspot, accounting for 41 per cent of recorded incidents and 27 per cent of fatalities.
Amnesty International has also raised the alarm over escalating electoral violence, intimidation and alleged interference ahead of the poll, saying its team on the ground had documented signs of escalating violence and a build-up towards further clashes in Osogbo, Ede, Ife, Oriade, Ijebu-Ijesha, Ilobu and Ikire. The rights group urged Nigerian authorities to uphold human rights and take urgent steps to prevent further violence before, during and after the election. Amnesty also said it had received reports of the arrest of state government officials and allegations of plans to influence the election, describing the developments as disturbing signs that could undermine a peaceful and credible poll.
The RSM rejected what it described as the politics of intimidation, thuggery and political assassination, warning that elections should not be used as a licence for politicians and their supporters to terrorise citizens. "Elections must not become a licence for politicians and their gangs to terrorise ordinary people," the group said. The RSM argued that Nigerian workers and other citizens had, for decades, been forced to choose between competing political groups whose interests, according to the movement, were often centred on the accumulation of wealth, control of public resources and political power. The group said the huge resources controlled by governments had failed to eliminate unemployment, insecurity, poverty, poor healthcare, inadequate education and worsening living conditions. It called for "a revolutionary transformation of society" in which political and economic power would be placed in the hands of working people and the country's wealth deployed to meet human needs rather than private enrichment.
The movement also called on workers, youths, poor farmers, students, traders and other oppressed people in Osun State to reject political violence, vote-buying, intimidation and thuggery. The RSM's demand for prosecution comes amid growing calls for accountability over the violence. The Accord Party has also appealed to the European Union to monitor the political situation in Osun State and use its diplomatic influence to promote a peaceful and credible election. The Nigerian Bar Association has decried the rising cases of political killings and violence in Osun State and urged security agents to remain professional.
The governorship election, scheduled for Saturday, August 15, 2026, pits incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party against the All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, among other contenders. The election has been marked by rising tensions, with allegations of political violence, police harassment and intimidation of opposition supporters. The Revolutionary Socialist Movement's warning that the 29 deaths and 73 incidents constitute "a frightening warning of what happens when elections become a battleground" has resonated with many Nigerians who fear that the bloodshed in Osun could be a harbinger of worse violence to come in the 2027 general elections. As the state prepares to go to the polls, the question remains whether the authorities will heed the call for accountability and prosecute those responsible for the violence, or whether the blood of the 29 victims will be yet another stain on Nigeria's troubled electoral history.
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