The Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, on Friday called on politicians in Osun State to rein in their supporters and ensure the August 15 governorship election is conducted peacefully.
Adams made the appeal in Osogbo during a reception organised by the Odua Peoples Congress for members and guests at the grand finale of the annual Osun Osogbo Festival.
While refusing to apportion blame for recent politically related killings in the state, the Yoruba leader warned that further loss of lives must be avoided before, during and after the poll.
“I will appeal to our politicians. Power is transient; power is momentary. We should not, because we are looking for power, kill a soul,” he said.
“Anything we do today will be history tomorrow. I am appealing to them that this election should be a peaceful election. Anything that happens in this election will be a reference to the general election.
“I have heard a lot, but I don’t want to get involved in trading blame, and I don’t want to blame anybody. But I will appeal to them that the election should be peaceful,” Adams added.
He also urged the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies to guarantee fairness and a level playing field for all candidates.
According to him, the conduct of the Osun election will shape public perception of INEC’s readiness for the 2027 general elections.
“We don’t need bloodshed in Yorubaland. We want a peaceful atmosphere for the election, and INEC should be neutral because anything INEC does in this election will shape people’s mindset towards the general election,” he said.
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