The party urges the AU, UN, EU, US and UK to scrutinise alleged attacks, arrests and intimidation ahead of the August 15 governorship poll

The Accord Party has called on the African Union, United Nations, European Union, United States and British governments to intervene in what it described as escalating Osun election violence, political arrests and intimidation ahead of the state’s August 15, 2026 governorship election.

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The call was made by Dele Oladeji, Secretary of the Accord South-West Forum and Chairman of the party in Lagos State, who urged international organisations and foreign governments to closely monitor developments in Osun and press Nigerian authorities to protect political actors and preserve the integrity of the electoral process.

Oladeji alleged that politically motivated attacks had increased since electioneering began, claiming that Accord members and leaders, officials of the Osun State Government and relatives of Governor Ademola Adeleke had been targeted.

He said the alleged attacks had resulted in deaths and injuries, including the reported killing of a 14-year-old boy, while accusing security agencies of failing to bring those responsible to justice.

“In the last couple of months, since the beginning of electioneering in Osun State for the August 15, 2026, governorship election, there has been a steady and rising rate of politically motivated, brutal and fatal attacks on Accord members, leaders, as well as officials of the ruling class in Osun State Government and even family members of the governor,” Oladeji said.

“These fatal attacks have led to loss of lives, including that of a 14-year-old boy, as well as several others. These politically motivated brutal killings have become one too many.”

The allegations come less than two weeks before voters are due to choose a governor, with tensions over political security already drawing attention from electoral authorities.

The Independent National Electoral Commission has identified about 385 potential flashpoints across Osun and 200 difficult terrains that could pose logistical challenges during the poll. The commission has also said security personnel deployed for the election will take an oath of neutrality.

INEC has scheduled the governorship election for August 15, 2026, and has invited accredited civil society and non-governmental organisations to observe the poll.

Oladeji said the alleged absence of arrests and prosecutions in connection with attacks had heightened fears over the ability and willingness of security agencies to protect political participants.

He further alleged that some individuals accused of involvement in attacks remained visible in public and were being protected by armed police officers. The Accord leader described the situation as evidence of what he called “state-aided violence, murder and intimidation”, although the statement did not provide specific evidence to substantiate the allegation.

The party also raised concerns over the July 29 arrest of the Secretary to the Osun State Government, Teslim Igbalaye, who was reportedly detained over an allegation of vote-buying before being released.

Oladeji described the arrest as politically motivated and questioned the basis of the allegation.

“It all came to a shocking point when the Secretary to the State Government, Hon Teslim Igbalaye, was arrested on July 29, 2026, in his home on what we consider baseless and trumped-up charges of vote buying,” he said.

“How can the SSG be arrested for vote buying when there is no activity for casting any vote at this time?”

The Accord leader also alleged that more than 100 of the party’s members and political office holders had been arrested, with 61 members still in police custody as of midnight on July 29.

He claimed that the detainees had not been shown arrest warrants, formally charged or brought before a court and alleged that some had been transferred from Osun to detention facilities in the Federal Capital Territory.

“As of midnight of July 29, 2026, there were still 61 Accord members in police captivity without any warrant of arrest, any accusation of crime or any petition,” Oladeji said.

“They were arrested by the police and taken hundreds of miles away to the Federal Capital Territory. They are being kept in different detention facilities without any remand order or arraignment in court.”

The claims could not be independently verified from the statement, and no response from the Nigeria Police Force or the affected security agencies was included in the allegations presented by the party.

The latest concerns follow earlier complaints by Accord about alleged politically motivated arrests and attacks ahead of the election. In June, the party called for the removal of Osun State Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Gotan, alleging that the police had failed to curb attacks on its members.

The party’s complaints have also been echoed in wider political tensions surrounding the poll. In July, Accord candidates sought intervention from President Bola Tinubu, Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu and other stakeholders over alleged politically motivated arrests and persecution.

Oladeji accused the police hierarchy of political bias and alleged that the Nigeria Police Force was being deployed to influence the election in favour of the All Progressives Congress. He cited the professional relationship between the Inspector-General of Police and President Bola Tinubu as part of what he described as evidence of institutional bias.

“With what we consider the complicity of the police hierarchy, and the fact that the Inspector-General of Police was a former ADC to President Bola Tinubu, all points to what we see as an obvious mandate to use the instrumentality of the Nigeria Police to conquer democratic territories for the President and his party, the APC,” he alleged.

The allegation is politically sensitive and remains unproven. The police and the APC would need to respond to the claim for a fuller assessment of the accusation.

Accord’s appeal for international scrutiny reflects growing concern about the conditions surrounding the election, which is expected to be closely contested. Governor Ademola Adeleke is seeking another term, while candidates from the APC, African Democratic Congress and other parties are also campaigning for the governorship.

INEC has repeatedly stressed the importance of security and neutrality in the electoral process. The commission’s preparations include security coordination and measures aimed at ensuring that voters can participate without fear or intimidation.

Oladeji urged the international community to intervene before the election, arguing that greater scrutiny could help protect voters, political parties and the credibility of the result.

“This is why I am sending this SOS to concerned world organisations to intervene and save democratic governance and the sanctity of the electoral process in Osun State,” he said.

He also called on the police to remain politically neutral and urged INEC to conduct the election impartially.

“The Nigeria Police should be made to eschew partisanship, while the Independent National Electoral Commission should act above board in the discharge of its constitutional responsibilities,” he said.

With the August 15 poll approaching, the accusations place renewed pressure on security agencies and election officials to demonstrate neutrality and ensure that political competition does not spill into violence.

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For Osun voters, the central concern is increasingly clear: whether the election can provide a credible and peaceful contest in which political differences are settled at the ballot box rather than through fear, intimidation or force.