The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has appealed for peace ahead of the August 15 Osun State governorship election, warning political actors against actions capable of triggering violence.
Drivetvnews gathered that the monarch stressed that the people of Osun alone should determine who becomes the next governor, urging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a free, fair, transparent and credible election.
Speaking while receiving the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, and his delegation at the Ooni’s Palace in Ile-Ife, Oba Ogunwusi expressed concern over the rising political tension in the state, describing the situation as increasingly alarming.
He noted that traditional rulers have a duty to promote peace and speak the truth irrespective of political interests, warning politicians against allowing personal ambitions to divide communities.
The Ooni urged INEC to remain impartial and ensure that the outcome of the election truly reflects the wishes of the electorate, adding that a transparent electoral process would help calm tensions and restore public confidence.
He also appealed to political parties, candidates and their supporters to avoid inflammatory statements, hate speech and violence before, during and after the election, insisting that no political contest should result in bloodshed or destroy long-standing relationships.
Commending President Bola Tinubu for supporting the independence of INEC, the monarch urged the electoral commission to justify that confidence by delivering a credible governorship election.
Earlier, INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan said the visit was to seek the support and blessings of the traditional institution ahead of the off-cycle election.
He assured the monarch that the commission would conduct a transparent election, deploy the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) to protect the integrity of the process, and ensure that every valid vote counts.
Amupitan also called on political parties, candidates and voters to reject violence, vote-buying and other electoral malpractices, while encouraging the public to rely only on official information released by INEC.
