The Accord Party candidate for Edo Central senatorial district for the 2027 general election, Kennedy Iyere, has warned political gladiators against violence, intimidation and electoral manipulation ahead of Saturday’s Osun State governorship election.

 

Iyere, who is also the Coordinator-General of the Youth Economic Intervention and De-radicalisation Programme (YEIDEP), urged the Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, and other political actors to comply with democratic principles and allow the electorate to freely determine the outcome of the election.

 

He said the governor, as the incumbent and chief executive of the state, had a responsibility to ensure that the election was conducted peacefully and in accordance with democratic norms, stressing that political ambition should not be placed above the sanctity of human life.

 

He urged political leaders, particularly governors of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who are in the state, to allow the electorate to freely determine the outcome of the poll.

 

Addressing the political actors in a video message, Iyere said, “If the purpose of being in Osun is to, by all means, either by hook or by crook, enforce victory for the APC, then you have no reason to be in Osun State.

 

“If you are there to be civil and democratic, campaign for your party, prioritising the sanctity of life, if that’s your reason, you have every good reason to be there.”

 

He warned that any attempt to turn the election into a “do-or-die affair” could result in violence and loss of lives, stressing that political ambition should not be placed above the sanctity of human life.

 

“There should be no single death in Osun tomorrow being Saturday because some people want a forceful takeover,” Iyere said.

 

He appealed to President Bola Tinubu, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, and other political leaders to ensure that the election was conducted peacefully and democratically.

 

Iyere also appealed to Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, whom he described as his friend, to ensure that political activities in Osun did not result in the loss of lives.

 

The Accord candidate said the election would provide an opportunity for the Tinubu administration to demonstrate its commitment to credible elections, arguing that the outcome would influence public perception of the government.

 

“President Tinubu, the world is watching to see the outcome of tomorrow’s election. And that is the last judgement the people will pass on your administration,” he said.

 

“You don’t need to tell the people you are ready to conduct a free and fair election. Let tomorrow’s election in Osun show and prove it to the world that you want to.”

 

Iyere also cautioned against alleged attempts to use political influence to determine the outcome of the election, insisting that the electorate should be allowed to choose its governor.

 

“How are they delivering Osun? It is the people who should deliver their own winner, not power from the Villa,” he said.

 

He said any alleged directive to force an electoral outcome should be reversed in the interest of national stability.

 

“I believe you didn’t say that. But if that actually was the instruction, in the interest of our national stability, it has better be reversed because the unexpected might happen in Osun,” he warned.

 

Iyere expressed concern over reports that some political actors were allegedly purchasing weapons and strengthening cult groups ahead of the election, warning that such actions could create security challenges beyond the election.

 

“The reports we are having indicate that some political gladiators are buying guns, are buying machetes, and are strengthening cult groups just to use them for tomorrow,” he said.

 

He questioned how political actors would retrieve such weapons after the election, warning that armed youths could become a long-term security threat.

 

“Assuming you succeeded in truncating the process and then by hook or by crook placing your own candidate as a fake and false governor that will serve the people, would you be able to retrieve the guns and the machetes and the other dangerous weapons you have proliferated and put in the hands of these hardened youths that you have made to become radical?”

 

Iyere said Nigeria’s experience with insurgency should serve as a warning to politicians against weaponising young people for electoral purposes.

 

“Tomorrow you don’t know that another species of insurgents will arise out of these people you have created, like it happened in Borno,” he said.

 

He further warned that Nigeria’s economic hardship and growing frustration among young people could make political violence particularly dangerous.

 

“Nigerians are not happy. The youths are not smiling. Let’s not provoke whatever puts them on the streets,” he said.

 

“That is one thing we may not recover from.”

 

Iyere urged political leaders to place the country’s stability above their individual ambitions, saying Nigeria could not afford another cycle of violence.

 

“We have no other country to call our own. Let our selfish political ambition not ruin our peace,” he said.

 

The Accord candidate said politicians seeking elective office should be prepared to accept the people’s verdict, whether favourable or otherwise.

 

“Why should we die because we want to choose a leader? Anyone who is coming to serve must not kill, must not be involved in any criminal act in order to win,” he said.

 

“If you want to serve the people, they want you, they vote for you, you serve them. If they don’t want you and you are sure of yourself that you were genuine, you walk away.”

 

He called for an end to the “do-or-die” approach to Nigerian politics, saying elections should be contests conducted in the spirit of sportsmanship.

 

“I’m a candidate of the Accord Party. I’m running for this election and I’m going to win my election. Elections should be conducted in the spirit of sportsmanship,” he said.

 

Iyere, who described himself as a humanitarian activist, social entrepreneur, philanthropist and justice crusader, also warned political leaders against actions capable of plunging the country into another security crisis.

 

“Wise men do not start wars. You know why? Not every man who started the war lives to see the end of that war. A word is enough for the wise,” he said.