Following reports of election-related violence and security threats in parts of Osun State, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said the commission will engage the highest levels of national security leadership to guarantee a peaceful, free and credible governorship election on August 15.

Prof. Joash Amupitan, INEC Chairman, disclosed this on Wednesday at the Osun State Governorship Election Stakeholders’ Forum in Osogbo, where he said the commission had also commenced engagements with traditional rulers as part of efforts to de-escalate tensions before the poll.

“We are engaging the highest levels of national security leadership to provide a neutral, professional, and impenetrable security blanket for our voters in Osun State. We are also engaging in local community mediation to de-escalate tensions before they reach the polls. Only yesterday, we were at the Palace of the Ooni of Ife, where we met with a wide spectrum of our Royal Fathers across the state, and this issue was central to our engagement with them. We will also be at the palace of the Ataoja of Osogbo to continue this engagement,” he stated.

The INEC chairman said the commission had integrated the Electoral Risk Management framework into its election planning, working with the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) and other stakeholders to identify emerging threats, map localised risk corridors and implement mitigation measures in vulnerable locations across the state.

He identified parts of Atakumosa East and West, Boripe, Ede North and South, Ife Central, Ifedayo, Ila, Osogbo, Ifelodun and Oriade local government areas as hotspots that would receive specialised, high-visibility security deployments ahead of the election.

According to him, security agencies have been directed to neutralise thuggery, cult activities and any attempt to disrupt the electoral process while maintaining professional neutrality.

Amupitan said, “We cannot ignore the shadow that insecurity casts over our preparations for the Osun election. The Commission is deeply concerned by several reports of violence and threats. We recognise that insecurity is a direct assault on the sanctity of the ballot, and it is a menace we are determined to overcome.”

He added that the commission had shifted its security approach from reactive monitoring to proactive prevention through intelligence-led operations in collaboration with security agencies.

“We are not just monitoring threats; we are proactively deploying intelligence-led security measures to every polling unit and collation centre. We are working closely with the Police and the Armed Forces to ensure that our staff, our materials, and most importantly, every single voter, are shielded from harm. We will meet any attempt to disrupt this election with the full, unyielding weight of the law,” he said.

Amupitan further assured voters that security arrangements had also been incorporated into the commission’s logistics chain to guarantee the safe movement of sensitive election materials.

“Our commitment is simple: no citizen should have to choose between their safety and their right to vote. We are working tirelessly with all security agencies to create a ‘security corridor’ that allows for a peaceful, free, and credible election. The ballot box, not the bullet, will decide the future of Osun State.”

Also speaking, the Commissioner of Police in Osun State, Ibrahim Gotan, said the command, in collaboration with INEC and other security agencies, had developed comprehensive operational strategies to guarantee the safety of voters, election officials, observers, journalists and electoral materials before, during and after the election.

According to Gotan, where tension arises officers have been directed to act professionally, exercise maximum restraint, and employ lawful conflict management techniques while taking firm action against anyone found violating the Electoral Act or other extant laws.

He stated that Individuals or groups who attempt to disrupt the electoral process will be dealt with in accordance with the law, irrespective of their status or political affiliation.

The police commissioner urged political actors to shun inflammatory rhetoric and violence, stressing that “elections should be a contest of ideas, not a battlefield.”