Osun poll: Avoid violence, ex-police chief urges political actors

Political actors participating in the upcoming August 15 Osun State governorship election must exercise restraint and avoid actions that could trigger violence, according to a former Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Abutu Yaro (retd.).

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Insecurity does not create itself, it is created by political actors, funded by them, sponsored by them, navigated by them, and designed for their preferred outcome.

Yaro made this call in Abuja during the public presentation of Kimpact Development Initiative’s pre-election security risk assessment for Osun State. The assessment identified 12 local government areas as high-risk zones ahead of the poll. He emphasized that political actors are central to preventing election-related insecurity, stating that security challenges during elections are often fueled by political interests.

"Insecurity does not create itself, it is created by political actors, funded by them, sponsored by them, navigated by them, and designed for their preferred outcome," Yaro stated. He added that security agencies can only do so much if politicians refuse to abide by the rules and demonstrate patriotism during the electoral process.

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So no matter how prepared the security forces are, in my view, if the political actors do not exercise restraint, do not exercise patriotism, do not play to the rules, certainly, insecurity will thrive.

The former police chief also stressed the importance of adequate and timely provision of election logistics, including vehicles, welfare for election officials, Permanent Voter Cards, and other materials. He warned that delays in deploying election materials could provoke public anger and create an environment conducive to violence. "A situation whereby people stay in the rain, in the sun, for three or four hours without the arrival of voting materials or without the arrival of EC8A, which is the most cardinal instrument of election, certainly public anger will be provoked and many things will go outside control," he said.

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A situation whereby people stay in the rain, in the sun, for three or four hours without the arrival of voting materials or without the arrival of EC8A, which is the most cardinal instrument of election, certainly public anger will be provoked and many things will go outside control.

Furthermore, Yaro urged journalists and social media users to refrain from disseminating unverified information during the election, describing misinformation as a major security threat. "Unverified reports and slanderous use of media space for the purpose of election outcome is the greatest security threat to our system," he said. He advised the public to rely on information from official sources, such as the Independent National Electoral Commission and the police, to prevent escalating tensions. Bukola Idowu, Executive Director of Kimpact Development Initiative, confirmed that their assessment identified 12 local government areas in Osun as high-risk, requiring both operational security and political intervention.

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Unverified reports and slanderous use of media space for the purpose of election outcome is the greatest security threat to our system.