Osun poll: Politicians must honour peace accord, says INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called on political parties and candidates participating in the Osun State governorship election on August 15 to honor the peace accord they signed and pledge to maintain a peaceful vote. Adedayo Oketola, INEC's Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser, made this plea on Thursday, addressing concerns over escalating tensions ahead of the election.

On July 30, 14 political parties signed the peace accord, organized by the National Peace Committee (NPC) in collaboration with INEC, to ensure a non-violent election. The peace accord aims to maintain peace and abide by the law before, during, and after the election. Oketola emphasized the importance of political parties honoring the accord, stating that it was a public commitment by the parties and the people of Osun State.

INEC had assessed the state extensively and engaged various stakeholders, including political parties, traditional institutions, voting blocs, and civil society organizations, to address potential violence. However, tensions have increased since these engagements. The commission is confident in the election's security, citing the deployment of 15,000 police personnel in the state.

INEC has also completed the deployment of non-sensitive materials to local government areas, with sensitive materials to be delivered on Friday and moved to Registration Area Centres by election day. INEC tested its systems through a mock accreditation exercise and is satisfied with the outcome, implementing safeguards to prevent bypassing.

Oketola urged voters to disregard misinformation and emphasized that isolated technical issues should not be used to claim Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVA) failure. The commission has deployed situational rooms in Osogbo and Abuja to monitor the election and track developments at polling units. Over 2.3 million registered voters are eligible to participate, and voters are encouraged to obtain accurate information through INEC's verified communication channels.

Oketola warned against vote buying, a major threat to election credibility, and urged Nigerians to actively participate in the election, as INEC does not have a candidate.