As the countdown to Saturday’s Osun State governorship election enters its final stretch, the battle for votes has become increasingly intense, with political heavyweights arriving in the state to rally support for their preferred candidates.
But at the APC mega rally in Osun on Thursday, Imo State Governor and Chairman of the APC Governors’ Forum, Hope Uzodinma, had a message that went beyond winning votes: keep the peace.
Uzodinma urged voters and political supporters to reject violence, intimidation and provocation before, during and after the election, while throwing his weight behind the APC governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO.
Addressing supporters at the rally, Uzodinma insisted that the APC should not be associated with electoral violence, describing the party as a movement driven by ideology and progressive politics.
“APC is not known for violence; APC is not known for trouble. APC is a party built on ideology, with progressive minds as members,” he said.
The Imo governor appealed to APC supporters not to be drawn into confrontations with opponents, arguing that the party’s task was to persuade voters rather than intimidate them.
“Don’t join the ugly parties in causing violence, killings, trouble-shooting. We have come to convince you to vote for APC on Saturday,” he added.
Uzodinma rallies support for Oyebamiji
Beyond the peace message, Uzodinma used the gathering to campaign aggressively for Oyebamiji and his running mate.
He urged Osun residents to come out in large numbers on Saturday and cast their ballots for the APC ticket.
According to him, APC governors had converged on Osun not merely for a campaign spectacle but to strengthen the party’s chances of reclaiming the state.
The governor argued that electing an APC administration would also bring Osun into closer political alignment with the Federal Government and other APC-controlled states.
Uzodinma framed the election as part of a larger political realignment, telling voters that an APC victory would give the state stronger access to the ruling party’s national political structure.
“We are here to support the party, we are here to support you, we are here to encourage you to see reason why Osun should be taken to the national grid,” he said.
“Osun State must be taken to the national grid. We the 31 governors of APC are in Osun State to welcome the state into our fold, to convince you.”
The argument adds another dimension to an already fiercely contested election: whether Osun voters should retain the incumbent administration or align with the political party controlling the Federal Government.
‘No violence, no intimidation’
Uzodinma also extended his appeal beyond APC supporters, calling on members of rival political parties to conduct themselves peacefully.
With tensions rising in the final days of the campaign, he warned that political ambition should not be allowed to undermine the credibility of the election.
“No violence, no intimidation, we must protect our democracy,” he said.
The message comes against the backdrop of heightened political tension in Osun, where rival camps have traded accusations and several controversies have dominated the final phase of campaigning.
Uzodinma ultimately linked the Osun election to the wider political agenda of President Bola Tinubu, urging voters to see their decision at the ballot box as part of a broader choice about Nigeria’s political direction.
He encouraged residents to support the APC and its candidate, arguing that a victory for Oyebamiji would strengthen the ruling party’s national project.
“So when you vote on Saturday, you’re voting for a new Nigeria,” Uzodinma declared.
Now, with the rallies winding down and the campaign microphones gradually going silent, Osun voters face the decision that all the political drama has been building towards.
One ballot. One choice. And a state that must live with the consequences long after the politicians leave town.