Nigerian businessman Isaac Fayose has pledged ₦5 million to support the families of people he claimed were killed during the recently concluded Osun State governorship election.
Fayose, in a Facebook post, alleged that 28 people lost their lives in violence linked to the election and described the deceased as “heroes” who stood firmly behind Governor Ademola Adeleke during the poll.
However, the claim of 28 election-related deaths has not been independently established in the information available in the report.
The businessman said the election may have ended, but the families of those who died should not be forgotten.
“The Osun election has come and gone, but 28 people were killed by APC because of this election, yet they still lost. Those who were killed are the heroes of this election because they stood by Governor Ademola Adeleke,” he said.
Fayose, who spoke partly in Pidgin English, said some victims allegedly died while supporting what he described as the “Imole” movement associated with Adeleke.
He said their deaths should be remembered as part of the history of the election, arguing that the families left behind deserved support and compensation.
Fayose seeks international investigation
Beyond financial support for the affected families, Fayose called for an investigation into the violence surrounding the election.
He said he had petitioned the International Criminal Court (ICC) over the alleged deaths and called for people accused of making inflammatory statements during the election period to be investigated.
According to him, those responsible for allegedly inciting violence should be identified and included in any petition seeking an international investigation.
“So we have to start writing. We have to come up with a petition to the international criminal courts. People that have incited a lot of people during this election,” he said.
Fayose expressed concern that as many as 28 people could allegedly have died over a single election, stressing that the figure, if confirmed, would be too significant to ignore.
“28 people is a lot for just an election.”
He also alleged that several people were detained during the election period, although he did not provide details of their identities or the circumstances surrounding their detention.
‘Let’s compensate their families’
Fayose said his proposed ₦5 million donation was intended to provide immediate assistance to families who, according to him, had lost loved ones during the election-related violence.
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He also appealed to the Osun State Government to consider providing additional compensation to the affected families.
“I am going to donate 5 million for their families. And the state government too. Let’s compensate them. We should be kind to them. They stood for what is right.”
The businessman described the alleged victims as people who stood for “Imole,” which he associated with blessing and progress, and urged that their names be documented as part of any investigation into the violence.
His comments come after the August 15 Osun governorship election, which was won by incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke.
The election, despite being declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has continued to generate political reactions, particularly over allegations of intimidation, violence and other irregularities recorded before and during the exercise.
Fayose’s intervention has now shifted attention beyond the political outcome of the election to a more painful question: if lives were indeed lost because of the contest for power, who will answer for those deaths, and who will stand with the families left behind?