Osun State is bracing for one of its most tense governorship contests in years, with authorities locking down the state’s borders and deploying thousands of security personnel ahead of Saturday’s poll, even as a wave of political defections and campaign-related violence reshapes the race in the state’s eastern flank.
State borders are set to close at midnight on Friday, with personnel from the Nigerian Army deployed to man all entry points. The Nigeria Police Force has announced a sweeping security operation for the election, deploying more than 15,000 officers, a Deputy Inspector-General of Police, and 30 Commissioners of Police across the state’s local government areas. Force spokesperson CSP Anietie Iniedu said one Commissioner of Police would be assigned to each of the state’s 30 local government areas, each supported by a Deputy Commissioner and senior Mobile Police commanders. Helicopters and drones have also been deployed for aerial surveillance.
Also read:Osun 2026: The security chief and the observers shaping Saturday’s vote
The Army is expected to cordon off all border roads leading into Osun from midnight, with vehicular movement restricted to those on essential duty, security personnel, and voters heading to cast their ballots. Police say they have recovered about 34 illegal firearms in the state as part of election preparations, and a mobile court will be on hand to try anyone arrested for electoral offences.
The heavy security presence reflects mounting anxiety over the vote. Election-monitoring group Yiaga Africa identified 13 of Osun’s 30 local government areas as high-risk, reporting roughly 44 violent incidents and 34 deaths linked to political violence between June 2025 and June 2026. A separate threat assessment noted that Osun’s borders with Ogun, Oyo, Kwara, Ekiti and Ondo states make cross-border movement by criminal groups and political thugs a key concern heading into the election.
On the ground, the tension has been palpable. Panic over potential violence forced traders in Osogbo and surrounding towns to close their shops earlier than usual on Friday, even as some clubs and bars remained open for visitors gathering ahead of election day.
While the leading candidates in the race all hail from the Osun West Senatorial District, the sharpest security concerns have emerged in the Osun East Senatorial District, particularly across Ijesaland, following a wave of killings that has marked the zone.
Compounding the volatility, two major political heavyweights, Senator Francis Fadahunsi and Hon. Oluwole Oke, have defected from the Peoples Democratic Party to the All Progressives Congress. Both men, from Obokun Local Government Area, have historically delivered strong votes for the PDP in Ijesaland, and their departure poses a significant challenge for the Accord Party and other opposition camps trying to hold the zone. The PDP did not field a candidate in Saturday’s election, according to the candidate list released by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
The rivalry has turned the campaign trail volatile, with the ruling and opposition parties trading accusations and counter-accusations over electoral violence. Governor Ademola Adeleke has publicly named Fadahunsi, Oke, and APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji, among others, in connection with the unrest, and has called for economic sanctions and visa bans against those he holds responsible for political violence in the state.
Fourteen candidates are on the ballot for Saturday’s governorship election, though three have emerged as the most prominent contenders: incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress, and Najeem Salam of the African Democratic Congress. Adeleke, the incumbent Accord governor, is seeking re-election, while Salam is a former speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly.
Governor Adeleke has urged residents to ensure their votes count in Saturday’s poll, framing the election as a test of Nigeria’s democratic process. With security forces locking down the state and Ijesaland emerging as a potential flashpoint, all eyes will be on whether the heavy deployment can keep Saturday’s vote peaceful.
