OSOGBO, Nigeria — The Nigeria Police Force has deployed more than 15,000 personnel, 30 Commissioners of Police and a Deputy Inspector-General of Police to provide security for Saturday’s Osun State governorship election.
The police said the deployment is part of a wider security operation that will include helicopter and drone surveillance, armed mobile police units across all 30 local government areas and heightened security around electoral facilities.
The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Iniedu, disclosed the security arrangements while briefing journalists in Osogbo on Friday.
According to him, police personnel began deploying to the state three weeks before the election, with a Deputy Inspector-General assigned to coordinate the overall security operation.
Police, Army prepare for election-day lockdown
Iniedu said the security agencies would effectively restrict vehicular movement across Osun State from midnight on Saturday, with exceptions for essential services, security personnel and accredited voters travelling to cast their ballots.
“We will be locking down the state. We will not be allowing any vehicular movement apart from those on essential duty, security duties and those going to cast their franchise,” he said.
The Army is expected to cordon off border roads leading into the state as part of measures to prevent the movement of individuals who could disrupt the election.
The police have also deployed 30 Mobile Police Force units, one to each local government area, with each unit comprising about 60 personnel.
Two additional Mobile Police Force units, each comprising more than 60 officers, have been deployed to the Independent National Electoral Commission headquarters in Osogbo.
Each local government area will also have a Commissioner of Police, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mobile Police Commander and a Mobile Police Force commander with the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police.
Police deploy helicopters, drones for surveillance
Iniedu said police helicopters and drone units had arrived in Osogbo to provide aerial surveillance before, during and immediately after the election.
“As of today (Thursday), our helicopters and drone units have arrived in Osogbo, and they will be conducting area surveillance from now, during and immediately after the elections,” he said.
The police also disclosed that about 34 illegal firearms had been recovered in Osun State as part of efforts to prevent violence ahead of the election, with investigations continuing.
Authorities warned residents and political actors against electoral offences including intimidation, stalking, vote-buying and ballot-box snatching.
A mobile court is also expected to handle cases involving individuals arrested for electoral offences.
Vote-buying allegations emerge ahead of poll
The heightened security preparations come amid allegations of vote-buying in parts of Osogbo.
Residents and traders in markets including Oja Ojude Oga, Ota Efun, Igbona and Alekuwodo told journalists that they had received cash from individuals claiming to represent political parties.
Some traders alleged that they received N10,000 each, while one trader claimed to have received N15,000 the previous week before another N10,000 payment was made. The trader said additional payments were promised on election day in exchange for support.
The allegations could not be independently verified.
Osun APC spokesperson Kola Olabisi denied that his party was involved in vote-buying, saying the party did not need to engage in such practices to win the election. Attempts to obtain comments from the Accord Party spokesperson were unsuccessful at the time of filing.
INEC urges parties to honour peace accord
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has urged political parties and candidates to honour the peace accord they signed ahead of the election and ensure that the poll is conducted peacefully.
INEC Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser, Adedayo Oketola, said the peace agreement was a public commitment by political actors to maintain order and comply with electoral laws.
Fourteen political parties participating in the election signed the accord organised by the National Peace Committee, which is convened by the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah.
Oketola acknowledged that political tensions had increased in the state despite stakeholder engagements conducted by INEC and the National Peace Committee.
He said the commission had deployed senior officials, including its chairman and national commissioners, to assess the state’s readiness for the election.
INEC said it remains confident that voting will take place in a secure environment, citing the deployment of more than 15,000 police personnel.
3,700 polling units to receive election officials
INEC said non-sensitive election materials had already been distributed to local government areas, while sensitive materials were scheduled to be moved from Central Bank of Nigeria vaults to local government offices before being transferred to Registration Area Centres.
The commission said officials were expected to be present at all 3,700 polling units by 8am on election day, with voting expected to begin at 8:30am.
INEC also said it had tested its electoral technology through a mock accreditation exercise and upgraded its Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
The commission increased its backup devices from about 600 to more than 1,300 in preparation for possible technical challenges.
Situational rooms in Osogbo and Abuja will monitor the election and allow officials to track developments at polling units and communicate with presiding officers.
More than 2.3 million voters eligible
More than 2.3 million registered voters are eligible to participate in the Osun governorship election.
INEC urged voters to rely on verified information, disregard misinformation and report irregularities through appropriate channels rather than confront suspected offenders.
The commission specifically warned that vote-buying remains a criminal offence under the Electoral Act and said both those offering and accepting inducements could face legal consequences.
1.9 million PVCs collected
INEC said 1,906,390 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) had been collected by registered voters ahead of the election.
The figure represents 81.50% of the 2,339,233 registered voters in Osun State, while 426,842 PVCs, or 18.50%, remain uncollected.
INEC said the uncollected cards had been deposited with the Central Bank of Nigeria in accordance with its established procedures.
The commission also disclosed that 6,101 voters who applied for replacement of damaged, defaced or lost PVCs had printed downloadable copies of their cards.
Security and credibility in focus
The scale of the security deployment reflects heightened attention on the Osun election, with authorities seeking to prevent violence, electoral fraud and disruption of voting.
With 15,000 police personnel, 30 Commissioners of Police, aerial surveillance and Mobile Police Force units deployed across the state’s 30 local government areas, security agencies have established a significant presence ahead of polling.
For INEC, however, security is only one component of a credible election.
The commission is also relying on upgraded technology, the deployment of election materials and personnel, situational monitoring and voter participation to deliver a peaceful and credible poll.
The decisive test will come on election day, when the security arrangements, electoral safeguards and political commitments are put into practice across Osun State.