Osun police hold peace meeting as Accord and APC skip

Osun State security and electoral officials convened a high-level meeting with political stakeholders on Wednesday, aiming to curb a surge in political violence ahead of the August 15 governorship election. The absence of the state's ruling Accord Party and the main opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) dominated discussions, with attending opposition figures directly accusing the two absent parties of being behind recent violent incidents.

The peace parley, held at the state police headquarters in Osogbo, was organized by the police and attended by representatives from other political parties, civil society, religious leaders, and security agencies including the army and corrections service. The Resident Electoral Commissioner for Osun State, Oluwatoyin Babalola, also participated.

Addressing the gathering, Osun State Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Gotan outlined a series of mandatory guidelines for political conduct. He stressed that parties and candidates must notify security agencies in advance of any rallies, campaigns, or political gatherings to allow for effective security planning and deployment. Gotan strongly condemned the destruction or defacement of opponents'...