This is why I have repeatedly said that Osun can learn a valuable lesson from neighbouring Ekiti State. During the last governorship campaign and election, political competition was intense
By Babafemi Ojudu
Have you been following the disturbing reports coming out of Osun State?
Almost every day brings fresh accounts of killings, assaults, and senseless violence. Armed thugs roam the streets, emboldened by politicians and power brokers who have taken so much from society yet given so little in return. Instead of investing in young people and creating opportunities for them, they recruit them into cult groups, arm them, and deploy them as foot soldiers in political proxy wars.
But to what end?
So that one man may remain governor while another takes his place? So that one politician may retain a legislative seat while another occupies it? Is any political office worth the blood of even one innocent citizen?
Political office is temporary. Power is fleeting. No governor, senator, or legislator remains in office forever. How tragic, then, that precious and irreplaceable lives are sacrificed in pursuit of positions that time itself will eventually erase.
One thing, however, gives me hope. In all the reports of these ugly and ungodly incidents, I have not heard the name of my friend and compatriot, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, linked to acts of violence. For that, I commend him and his movement. Let ideas compete, not weapons. Let persuasion triumph over intimidation. Even if victory does not come today, politics rooted in the enduring Omoluabi ethos will have planted seeds that future generations can nurture and harvest.
This is why I have repeatedly said that Osun can learn a valuable lesson from neighbouring Ekiti State. During the last governorship campaign and election, political competition was intense, passions ran high, and the stakes were significant. Yet not a single life was lost. I observed the process closely. It may not have been flawless, but it was remarkably peaceful. That achievement deserves recognition.
Governor Biodun Oyebanji, his opponents, party leaders, supporters, security agencies, and the people of Ekiti all deserve commendation for demonstrating that elections need not become battlefields. Democracy flourishes when ballots replace bullets and persuasion replaces violence.
I now appeal to the elders of Osun State—if there are still enough whose voices have not been silenced by personal interests or compromised by the lure of power and wealth. Rise to your historic responsibility. Call Governor Ademola Adeleke and his supporters, as well as the APC challenger and his followers, to order. Remind them that no electoral victory is worth the life of a single son or daughter of Osun.
This river of blood must stop.
The people are not asking for violence. They seek peace, security, jobs, quality education, functional healthcare, and the opportunity to earn an honest living. They long for hope, not fear; for development, not destruction.
That is the true purpose of democracy—not bullets, not bombs, and certainly not bloodshed.