Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has called for economic sanctions and visa bans against opposition leaders in the state, for allegedly aiding political violence in the state ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
The governor made the call on Monday while receiving a delegation of the British Government on a pre-election peace-building mission to Osun State.
Adeleke alleged that the named politicians were encouraging violence through their supporters, leading to killings and gun attacks across the state.
According to a statement signed by the governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, the governor urges the international community to impose sanctions on politicians and security officials found to be sponsoring or enabling political violence.
While commending security chiefs for intervening to curb the violence, Adeleke insisted that those responsible for instigating attacks must be held accountable, regardless of their political affiliations.
“I have zero tolerance for violence. I have told the Inspector-General of Police that if my son is involved, he should be arrested.
“I told the world we harbour no thugs anywhere and the police can and should arrest any suspect. There must be strict law enforcement,” he said.
Adeleke’s remarks came amid the reported killing of another Accord Party member in Ijebu-Jesa, bringing the number of Accord members allegedly killed since the commencement of the 2026 political campaigns to five, while 15 others were said to have sustained critical injuries in attacks allegedly carried out by suspected opposition thugs.
The governor urged security agencies to investigate and prosecute both perpetrators and their alleged sponsors, arguing that publicly available statements and actions by some opposition leaders justified the call for international sanctions.
He said, “I believe we must have a deterrent against those promoting political violence. We seek a visa ban against politicians sponsoring killings and violent attacks. We advocate for similar sanctions against security chiefs aiding and abetting such anti-democratic activities.
“Election is not about bloodshed. Osun deserves the peace and freedom to make their choice about who governs them. There must be consequences for those deliberately endangering the lives of our people for selfish political gains.”
The British delegation was led by the Senior Political Adviser, Wale Adebajo, who said the visit formed part of ongoing efforts to promote peaceful, credible and transparent elections in the state.
Adebajo has assured the governor that the British Government would continue engaging relevant stakeholders to encourage peaceful conduct before, during and after the August 15 governorship election.
Osun has witnessed heightened political tensions in recent months, with the ruling Accord Party and the opposition trading accusations over alleged attacks, intimidation and violent incidents.
Security agencies have repeatedly appealed to political actors and their supporters to conduct their campaigns peacefully and refrain from actions capable of undermining the electoral process.
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