Osun: INEC, NIGAWD Partner, Harp on Inclusive, Transparent Governance

. Two APC members killed, six Injured in Osogbo attack

Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo

The Executive Director of the New Generation Girls and Women Development Initiative (NIGAWD) and South-West Coordinator, Youth Electoral Reform Project (YERP-Naija), Abimbola Aladejare-Salako, has asserted that credible elections and active citizen participation remain the bedrock of every democratic society.

Also, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Osun State, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola, has said that INEC is guided by the law, and all other activities involving other stakeholders, which includes political parties, the voters, what you do, what the political parties do, how much money they can spend, how they conduct their campaign, are all in the law, and these are all provisions of the law which must be complied with.

She also posited that “INEC has been complying and carrying out our constitutional mandates in accordance with the law. “

Speaking at the Multi-Stakeholders’ Roundtable on Legal Compliance and Electoral Integrity ahead of the 2026 Osun State off-cycle governorship elections, Aladejare-Salako noted that elections equally inspire public confidence when they are inclusive, transparent, accountable and competitive.

She said achieving these standards requires more than a sound legal framework; it demands strong institutions, adequate resources, responsible political actors and informed citizens who understand both their rights and their responsibilities.

According to her, “Recognising this, NIGAWD, as the South-West coordinator of the Youth Electoral Reform Project (YERP-Naija), joined other youth-led and youth-focused organisations across Nigeria to advocate comprehensive electoral and constitutional reforms following widespread dissatisfaction with the conduct of the 2023 General Elections.

“Through extensive consultations with young people across the country, the YERP-Naija campaign developed practical recommendations for reform, which were presented to the National Assembly. “

She posited further that: “Many of these recommendations, including the mandatory electronic transmission of election results and other measures designed to strengthen transparency and public confidence, were incorporated into the credible elections and active citizen participation which remain the bedrock of every democratic society.

“Elections inspire public confidence when they are inclusive, transparent, accountable, and competitive. Achieving these standards requires more than a sound legal framework; it demands strong institutions, adequate resources, responsible political actors and informed citizens who understand both their rights and their responsibilities.”

The REC made it clear that transparency and public confidence were incorporated into the 2026 Electoral Act, which was signed into law by the president in February 2026.

“Earlier this year, the Ekiti State governorship election became the first election conducted under the provisions of the new Electoral Act and the revised INEC Regulations and Guidelines.

“While the election recorded notable improvements in several respects, it also highlighted operational, legal and administrative challenges that deserve careful reflection as Nigeria prepares for the Osun State off-cycle governorship election.

“The Osun State election, therefore, presents an opportunity not only to implement the provisions of the Electoral Act faithfully but also to build on the successes recorded in Ekiti State while addressing the gaps that became evident during its implementation.

“The objective of today’s Multi-Stakeholders’ Roundtable is to bring together key electoral stakeholders—including INEC, security agencies, political parties, civil society organizations, development partners, youth groups, the media and other critical actors to collectively examine lessons from the Ekiti State election and identify practical measures that will strengthen the credibility, transparency, inclusiveness and peaceful conduct of the Osun governorship election,” she stated.

Meanwhile,  two members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were allegedly killed while six others sustained varying degrees of gunshot injuries after suspected gunmen attacked a political mobilisation meeting held for the party’s governorship candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji (AMBO), in Osogbo, Osun State, last Wednesday night.

THISDAY source hinted that the attackers were said to have stormed the meeting at the Owode-Igbona area of Osogbo, where party members had gathered in two clusters for a mobilisation meeting ahead of the formal flag-off of the APC governorship campaign in Ile-Ife.

Eyewitnesses said the suspected assailants, dressed in black police-like uniforms, arrived in a white bus and attempted to whisk away one of the APC youth leaders, identified as Ogunteru. The source said the victim resisted and escaped, prompting the gunmen to open fire indiscriminately on those at the venue.

Top APC leaders, including the Media Head of the Governorship Campaign Council, Oluremi Omowaiye; former state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Adebayo Adeleke; and Senior Special Assistant to the President, Issah Niniola, later visited the scene of the attack and the hospitals where the injured victims were receiving treatment.

Narrating his ordeal, an APC youth leader, Mr. Ogundele Awosola(Ogunteru), alleged that the attackers targeted him because he and other members had recently defected from the Accord Party to the APC.

He said: “Yesterday night, we were having a meeting with my people. We were in the Accord Party before but joined the APC recently. We saw a white bus and another vehicle, but thought they were policemen, so we did not run.

“But one of them, whom I know as Rugged, pointed a gun at me and ordered me to follow him. I told him I was not a cult member and asked what business I had with them. He fired into the air to threaten me, but I pushed him away and escaped.

“I later called the police, and when they arrived, we discovered that many of our members had been shot. The police also recovered a new Beretta pistol at the scene. These people have been monitoring the area since we joined the APC.”

Awosola further claimed that some of the suspected attackers had recently been released from prison, naming two individuals he alleged participated in the attack.

Victims of the attack were identified as Kazeem Akande, 70, and Lekan, who both died from gunshot wounds. Others injured included APC flag bearer in the area, Kehinde Salaudeen, 60; Olalekan Mutiu; and a 13-year-old girl, Rodiyat Ariyo, among others.

A former Accord Party local government chairman who recently defected to the APC, Hon. Akinloye Isiaka, said he narrowly escaped the attack after leaving the meeting shortly before the gunmen struck.

“My brother, Awosola, invited me to the meeting. I had just left when the attack occurred. I am demanding justice for those who lost their lives,” he said while speaking with journalists at the Osogbo Central Hospital.

Niniola also condemned the attack and alleged that the violence was politically motivated, saying: “Those released from prison are being armed to unleash violence on our members and create fear among voters. We want the international community to take note of what is happening in Osun State. The claim that the victims were cultists is not logical. We urge our members not to be intimidated,” he said.

Also speaking, former commissioner Adebayo Adeleke alleged that some of the perpetrators were operating from the Government House and urged the Inspector-General of Police to intervene urgently.

He said: “This attack was premeditated. The Inspector-General of Police must act decisively because the security situation in Osun State is becoming alarming. One of the issues we earlier raised was the alleged use of police uniforms by some Amotekun operatives to perpetrate crimes, but nothing has been done. Survivors told us the attackers wore black uniforms,” he said.

Also, Oluremi Omowaiye confirmed that the remains of the two deceased members had been deposited at the morgue.

“We have seen the X-rays of those who sustained gunshot injuries, and the indications suggest the use of AK-47 rifles. We call on security agencies to bring the perpetrators to justice. We believe the people have rejected Governor Ademola Adeleke, and violence will not stop the APC from winning this poll,” he said.

Reacting to the incident, Governor Adeleke called for calm, describing the attack as a suspected cult-related killing while dismissing allegations that the state government had any involvement.

In a statement issued by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, the governor said: We received with concern reports of the suspected cult killing in Osogbo and call on security agencies to enforce the law by apprehending those responsible. The killing and the subsequent violence are condemnable.

“The incidents of cult violence in Osogbo must be curtailed immediately to avoid worsening the already delicate security situation following recent political violence in the state.”

Meanwhile, the Osun State Police Command, through its Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, confirmed the incidents, saying two suspects had been arrested in connection with one of the attacks, while arms and ammunition were recovered at another scene.

He said: “Regarding the incident at Egbatedo, one person was killed, several others were injured and two suspects have been arrested. Some names mentioned by witnesses are already on the police watch list, and investigations are ongoing.

“On the Owode-Igbona incident, no arrest has been made yet, but arms and ammunition were recovered. As of the time I am speaking, I cannot confirm the casualty figure, although several people sustained injuries. Investigation is ongoing.”