With just days to the Osun State governorship election, the political temperature in the state has continued to rise, with the Accord Party turning to the international community for help.
The party has appealed to the European Union (EU) to intervene in what it described as an increasingly tense and intimidating political environment ahead of Saturday’s election.
In a letter dated August 12, 2026, and addressed to the EU Ambassador and Head of Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Migot, Accord urged the bloc to deploy its diplomatic influence to help ensure that the August 15 poll is free, fair, credible and peaceful.
The letter was signed by the party’s National Chairman, Maxwell Mgbudem.
The party said its decision to seek international attention was driven by what it described as a troubling pattern of attacks, arrests, harassment and intimidation involving its members and supporters.
Accord specifically referenced a viral video involving Senator Francis Fadahunsi, representing Osun East Senatorial District, in which he was reportedly heard making a comment interpreted as a call for Accord members to be killed.
Fadahunsi has since denied that he was advocating physical violence, with his camp insisting that the remark was political rhetoric intended to urge APC supporters to defeat Accord at the ballot box.
Accord, however, said the controversy had heightened anxiety among its supporters as election day approaches.
The party said: “Accord is deeply concerned about reports of political violence, intimidation, arrests, harassment and deployment of state institutions and security agencies in ways that have heightened political tension and generated considerable apprehension among political actors and citizens in the State.”
It alleged that its members had increasingly become targets of what it described as coordinated attacks and intimidation.
“More worrisome is the viral video where a sitting Senator ordered that Accord members should be killed wherever they are sighted,” the party added.
Party Claims 29 Deaths, Over 60 Arrests
Accord made a series of serious allegations in its appeal to the EU, claiming that at least 29 people had been killed in incidents linked to the political atmosphere in Osun.
The party also alleged that several others had sustained gunshot injuries.
It further claimed that more than 60 Accord members and supporters had been arrested and detained in Abuja and Nasarawa State, demanding urgent clarification over the circumstances surrounding the arrests.
The party argued that such developments could discourage its members from participating fully in the election and ultimately undermine the level playing field required for a credible contest.
According to Accord, the issue goes beyond the fortunes of one political party.
It said the alleged actions could affect voters’ confidence and create an atmosphere in which citizens become afraid to openly participate in the democratic process.
The party also raised concerns about the involvement of federal security and regulatory agencies in Osun’s political environment.
Accord cited recent searches of the residences of some senior Osun State Government officials, the arrest of certain officials and the restriction placed on a state government bank account by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The party noted that some of the officials were later released and that the account restriction was subsequently lifted following public reactions and intervention.
However, Accord stressed that it was not opposed to legitimate investigations or lawful actions by security and anti-corruption agencies.
Instead, it questioned the timing, manner and perceived selectivity of such actions during an election period.
The party said: “The timing, manner and perceived selectivity of actions by public institutions during an election period are capable of undermining public confidence if they are not demonstrably impartial, transparent and consistent with due process.”
Accord Asks EU To Watch Security Agencies
The party urged the European Union to encourage the Federal Government and security agencies to maintain neutrality and professionalism throughout the electoral process.
It also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct its duties independently and impartially.
According to Accord, security agencies must equally respect fundamental rights and due process while carrying out their responsibilities before, during and after the election.
The party further asked the EU to support credible domestic and international election observation efforts to ensure that developments across Osun are properly monitored.
It urged all political parties and candidates to accept the outcome of the election if credible, while directing any grievances through the appropriate legal and electoral dispute-resolution mechanisms.
Perhaps the strongest part of Accord’s appeal was its argument that international diplomacy would be more useful before violence occurs than after it.
The party described the situation as one requiring preventive diplomacy, rather than waiting for the consequences of political confrontation to unfold.
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“The present situation calls for preventive diplomacy rather than intervention after the damage has been done,” it said.
For Accord, the August 15 election represents more than another contest for political power.
The party described the poll as a test of whether Nigeria can conduct an election in which political institutions remain neutral, security agencies act professionally and voters can cast their ballots without fear.
‘We Are Not Asking The EU To Support Accord’
The party was also careful to frame its appeal as a defence of democratic principles rather than an attempt to secure international backing for its candidate.
Accord insisted that it was not asking the European Union to support the party or any particular candidate.
Rather, it wants the international community to help protect political pluralism and the right of Osun residents to freely determine who governs them.
With campaigns reaching their final stretch and political rhetoric growing increasingly heated, the party’s appeal has added another international dimension to an already closely watched election.
The central question now is whether the final days before the vote will be defined by heightened political confrontation, or by restraint from all sides.
For Osun voters, Saturday will ultimately provide the answer at the ballot box. But before then, the pressure is mounting on political parties, security agencies and electoral authorities to ensure that the journey to election day does not become more dangerous than the election itself.