Women rally for peace
TENSION briefly disrupted a stakeholders’ meeting on preparations for the August 15 governorship election in Osun State on Wednesday as participants openly rejected the State Commissioner of Police during his address, accusing him of bias and demanding his immediate redeployment.
The meeting, held in Osogbo, brought together officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, political parties, civil society organisations and other election stakeholders to deliberate on measures aimed at ensuring a peaceful, credible and violence-free governorship poll.
Trouble started when the Commissioner of Police rose to address the gathering.
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Many participants booed him, shouting derogatory remarks and chanting “Redeploy him! Redeploy him!” while accusing him of failing to discharge his responsibilities impartially.
Some of the aggrieved stakeholders alleged that the police boss had displayed what they described as a lukewarm attitude towards cases of alleged killings, assaults, intimidation and victimisation of residents in different parts of the state.
They further accused him of being a biased security officer whose actions had eroded public confidence in the command’s ability to provide equal protection for all political interests.
The development forced security operatives and event organisers to appeal for calm as the meeting continued.
However, the atmosphere changed as the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, who addressed the gathering shortly afterwards, was warmly received.
Participants applauded repeatedly, commending the electoral body for its preparations and urging it to remain independent, transparent and committed to delivering a credible governorship election.
The stakeholders also called on INEC to sustain its neutrality and ensure that every valid vote cast on election day counts.
Meanwhile, hundreds of women from across the state staged a peaceful procession to the event venue, calling on political actors, security agencies and residents to embrace peace before, during and after the election.
Carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Vote, Not Violence”, “Peace is Our Priority”, “No to Political Bloodshed”, and “Our Votes Must Count,” the women appealed to politicians to conduct their campaigns with civility and avoid inflammatory rhetoric capable of provoking unrest.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, the group’s spokesperson, Mrs. Ogunsuada Omoriyeba, said the women were deeply concerned by the rising political tension in the state and insisted that no political ambition was worth the loss of human lives.
“We are mothers, wives and daughters, and we have come together to speak with one voice.”
“We reject violence, intimidation, hate speech and every form of acrimony associated with elections. Osun belongs to all of us, and we want an election that will be remembered for peace, not bloodshed,” she said.
She urged political parties and their supporters to respect democratic values by allowing voters to exercise their constitutional rights freely and without fear.
The spokesperson also appealed to security agencies to remain professional, impartial and law-abiding throughout the electoral process.
“We call on all security personnel deployed for the election to do the right thing. They should be neutral, protect every citizen equally and enforce the law without fear or favour. Their loyalty should be to the Constitution and not to any political party or candidate,” she added.
The women further appealed to youths not to allow themselves to be used as instruments of violence, warning that political crises often leave lasting social and economic consequences for ordinary citizens.
They urged residents of the state to remain peaceful, report suspicious activities to appropriate authorities and contribute to ensuring that the forthcoming governorship election is conducted in an atmosphere of peace, fairness and credibility.
The stakeholders’ meeting ended with renewed calls for issue-based campaigns, strict adherence to the Electoral Act and collective efforts by political parties, security agencies, INEC and the electorate to safeguard the integrity of the August 15 governorship election.
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