Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The sacred act of casting a ballot descended into sheer terror on Saturday, August 15, 2026, as a notorious political thug, allegedly loyal to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and identified only as "Big Hammer," stormed the polling unit of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate, Najeem Salam, in Ejigbo Local Government Area, forcing voters and election agents to flee for their lives and leaving a trail of destruction in his wake. The shocking incident, captured in multiple videos circulating on social media and confirmed by SaharaReporters, has cast a dark shadow over the Osun State governorship election and raised urgent questions about the role of political thugs in Nigeria's electoral process.
According to reports, the attack unfolded at the ADC candidate's polling unit as voters had gathered to exercise their franchise. Eyewitnesses described scenes of pandemonium as "Big Hammer" and his associates descended on the location, creating panic among voters and election agents. A video seen by SaharaReporters showed voters and election agents running in different directions amid the reported incident. One of the persons captured in the video narrated how they were forced to jump over a fence in an attempt to escape the attack. "We had to jump the fence to escape, this is very uncalled for," the victim said. The attack also resulted in damage to a vehicle, with residents expressing concern over the violence and destruction associated with the election.
The alleged disruption at Salam's polling unit is particularly significant given that the ADC candidate is one of the major contenders in the election, while political tensions have remained high across Osun State ahead of the conclusion of voting and collation. The attack on Salam's polling unit follows a separate incident earlier in the day when the ADC candidate was whisked away by his security operatives after violence erupted at his polling unit. The incidents in Ejigbo are part of a broader pattern of violence that has marred the Osun governorship election, with the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development's Conflict Tracker recording at least 34 election-related violent incidents and 18 deaths in Osun State since May 2026.
Governor Ademola Adeleke, who spoke shortly after casting his ballot at Unit 009, Ward 2, Ede North Local Government Area, accused the APC of bringing a police officer from Port Harcourt to "disorganise the vote." Adeleke called on the Inspector General of Police and other security agencies to closely monitor the activities of the alleged officer and ensure that the election was not disrupted. "There is one Police officer called London from Port Harcourt, they brought him to come and disorganise the vote," Adeleke said. He further alleged that the officer was brought into Osun by the APC as part of an alleged plan to interfere with the electoral process, particularly in Ede, his hometown. "The APC in Osun brought him to come and destroy my town," Adeleke said, adding that the alleged plot was to bypass the normal process of collation from units to wards to local government.
The Ejigbo incident is not an isolated case of electoral violence in Osun State. Earlier, the APC had raised an alarm over the alleged importation of political thugs into the state, with the party's campaign media committee accusing the Adeleke administration of accommodating thugs at the Government House. In a separate incident, suspected thugs stormed the polling unit of former Osun Governor Rauf Aregbesola and chased away voters during the governorship election. The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC) had also raised concerns over rising electoral violence, political intimidation, killings and vote buying ahead of the Osun State governorship election, expressing particular concern over the alleged recruitment, financing and deployment of political thugs to intimidate voters, attack opponents, disrupt political activities and influence electoral outcomes.
The attack by "Big Hammer" at the ADC candidate's polling unit has drawn condemnation from civil society groups and election observers, who have called on security agencies to investigate the incident and prosecute those responsible. The incident has also heightened fears that the election could be marred by further violence, particularly as collation of results gets underway. For the voters of Ejigbo, the attack was a stark reminder of the dangers that lurk in Nigeria's electoral process, where the will of the people is often subverted by the guns and machetes of political thugs. As one eyewitness put it, "We came to vote, but we had to run for our lives. This is not democracy."
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