President Bola Tinubu has charged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to ensure a peaceful, transparent and credible governorship election in Osun State scheduled for Saturday, August 15, 2026.

The President, in a statement issued on Friday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, urged security agencies to protect voters and electoral officials throughout the exercise.

Tinubu also called on residents of Osun State to come out and exercise their civic rights without fear, while cautioning them against acts capable of disrupting the electoral process.

“As the people of Osun State head to the polling units to elect who will govern them in the next four years, I call on the Independent National Electoral Commission to ensure orderly conduct of the election. The election must be transparent, free and fair,” the President said.

He urged INEC to use the election as an opportunity to demonstrate its preparedness for the 2027 general elections.

“INEC must use this last off-cycle election as a test case to demonstrate to Nigerians their full preparedness for the 2027 polls,” Tinubu added.

The President said he had directed the Inspector-General of Police and other heads of security agencies participating in the election to provide maximum security at polling units and prevent troublemakers from disrupting the exercise.

He stressed that electoral officials and voters must be protected from intimidation, assuring residents that necessary measures had been put in place to guarantee a peaceful election.

Fifteen candidates are contesting the election, including the incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party, the All Progressives Congress candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, and the African Democratic Congress candidate, Hon. Najeem Salaam.

Tinubu said the outcome of the election must reflect the will of the people, stressing that credible elections remain essential to Nigeria’s democratic process.

“Our elections must be credible, and the outcome of the Osun Governorship election must reflect the will of the people,” he declared.