Osun 2026: National Population Commission raises concern over violent incidents in 15 local government areas

n n

The National Peace Committee, through its secretariat, The Kukah Centre, has identified Osogbo and Irewole local government areas of Osun State as the most vulnerable to election-related violence ahead of the August 15 governorship election.

n

Iwo, Boripe, Ife Central and Ife East local government areas also featured on the list of the 15 violence-prone LGAs classified as high-risk in the state.

n

The assessment was contained in a Political and Security Context Analysis presented to stakeholders during bilateral engagements supported by the European Union under the EU Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria project.

n

A statement made available by the Centre in Osogbo on Friday said the meeting was attended by representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, security agencies and other stakeholders.

n

The report identified 15 local government areas across the state as falling within critical, high and moderate-risk categories.

n

It also highlighted organised political violence, institutional tensions, electoral offences and information disorder as major risks requiring sustained stakeholder collaboration and proactive conflict prevention.

n

Speaking to journalists after presenting the report, the Project Manager of The Kukah Centre, Asabe Ndahi, said the report was presented to security agencies and other stakeholders to enable them to develop strategies to curb or reduce the risks and ensure that voters turned out safely on election day.

n

She further explained that the bilateral consultations formed part of the National Peace Committee’s broader peacebuilding interventions ahead of the formal signing of the Peace Accord.

n

“We are here to present to them the report of findings from our Election Security Information Hub, which is domiciled at The Kukah Centre, Abuja, and get feedback from them on what they will be doing as we progress into the election.

n

“I give you an example. Based on the data we have, about 15 local government areas fall within the critical, high and moderate-risk categories. Particularly, Osogbo and Irewole local government areas fall within the critical-risk index. In the last six weeks, we have deployed field observers who have been gathering data for us on security incidents in Osun State, so the risk index for Osogbo and Irewole is high.

n

“We have other high-risk local government areas like Iwo, Boripe, Ife Central and Ife East. In all of these places, we have been able to track and identify critical flashpoints ahead of the election. So, we are discussing with the security agencies to see how to curtail or reduce the incidents as we progress towards the election and ensure that election day is safe for people to come out and vote,” Ndahi said.

n

In their separate submissions, the participants deliberated on the issues highlighted in the report and reaffirmed their commitment to peaceful elections.

n

They also called on political parties, supporters and citizens to reject violence, uphold democratic values

n n