Labour Party leader and 2023 presidential candidate Peter Obi has called for a free, fair, and peaceful electoral process ahead of the upcoming election in Osun State, appealing to electoral authorities, security agencies, political actors, and the international community to uphold the credibility of the vote.
In a statement posted to his official X (formerly Twitter) account, Obi said “Osun belongs to its people” and called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, political parties, candidates, civil society groups, religious and traditional leaders, and the media to “act with the highest degree of neutrality, professionalism, and restraint.”
He said residents of the state “must be allowed to vote freely, safely, and without intimidation,” adding that votes “must be counted transparently, protected faithfully, and announced according to the genuine will of the electorate.”
Obi appealed directly to Osun residents to reject political polarisation, urging them not to let “politicians turn your neighbours, friends, and communities against each other” in pursuit of electoral victory. He also cautioned political figures, supporters, and financiers based outside the state against “importing” tension into the process, describing the right of Osun’s people to choose their leaders peacefully as constitutionally protected.
The former Anambra State governor called on security agencies to remain politically neutral, stating their “loyalty must be to Nigeria and the Constitution, not to any political party or individual,” and tasked them with protecting all voters equally.
He also urged INEC to safeguard the credibility of the election “from the preparatory stages to accreditation, voting, collation, and declaration,” saying every irregularity must be addressed and every legitimate vote counted.
Obi additionally invited diplomatic missions and international election observers to monitor the Osun poll closely, saying their “presence, vigilance, and principled observation” could strengthen public confidence in the process.
The statement, posted on X and reshared by musician Davido, concluded with a broader appeal for the election to demonstrate that “political competition can be intense without degenerating into violence” and that power in Nigeria can change hands “through ballots rather than blood.”
