Adebayo Osun election warning: SDP’s Adewole Adebayo alleges politicised law enforcement and raises concerns over violence ahead of Saturday’s poll
Social Democratic Party presidential candidate Adewole Adebayo on Thursday, August 13, 2026, alleged that law enforcement had been politicised ahead of the August 15 Osun State governorship election, raising concerns about violence and the credibility of the electoral process.
Also read: Bamidele Says APC Can Defeat Adeleke in Osun Poll
Adebayo made the allegation during a live appearance on Arise Television’s Morning Show, where he said developments in Osun should serve as a warning ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
“The lesson we can learn is that 2027 should not be like the Osun election because, if it is, we are starting on the wrong foot,” Adebayo said.
The SDP chieftain said violence and what he described as other forms of unfairness had already occurred in Osun before voters head to the polls.
“Already in Osun, violence has occurred. Already in Osun, all kinds of unfairness have occurred,” he said, before adding: “There has been a politicisation of law enforcement.”
Adebayo did not provide specific evidence during the televised interview to substantiate his allegation that law enforcement had been politicised.
His comments nevertheless come amid heightened political tensions and competing accusations among parties as the state approaches Saturday’s election.
The security environment has become a prominent issue in the final days of the campaign.
Governor Ademola Adeleke has urged supporters to turn out and protect their votes, while calling on political actors and security agencies to ensure the contest does not descend into violence.
The election has also been complicated by a late change to the ballot. The Independent National Electoral Commission added SDP governorship candidate Francis Olugbenga Ajala to the ballot after a court order, with the decision coming just days before voting.
That development is significant for the SDP, which Adebayo said had only secured recognition for its governorship candidate shortly before his interview.
“From the point of view of the SDP, we just got our governorship candidate recognised only yesterday,” he said, adding that debates and campaigns had already taken place.
INEC subsequently announced that reproduced ballot papers would be delivered to Osun on Thursday, August 13, following the court-directed inclusion of the SDP candidate.
The late inclusion means voters will face a slightly altered ballot shortly before election day, while electoral officials must complete the logistical arrangements needed to distribute the reproduced materials across the state.
Adebayo framed the developments as part of a wider concern about Nigeria’s electoral institutions rather than solely an Osun issue.
His reference to 2027 reflects his position as the SDP’s presidential candidate for the next general election and his argument that lessons from the Osun poll should inform preparations for the national contest.
His remarks come against a longer backdrop of political and security disputes in Osun.
In February 2025, the House of Representatives recorded concerns over violence linked to a dispute involving local government administration in the state, noting that six people had died and several others had been injured during the unrest.
The history adds weight to current calls for restraint, although the earlier local government crisis was separate from the 2026 governorship contest.
Adebayo’s intervention also comes as the main parties intensify their final efforts to mobilise voters.
The APC has expressed confidence that its candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, can unseat Adeleke, while the governor and his supporters have mounted their own final campaign push.
With voting due on Saturday, the central test for Osun will be whether the political competition can be conducted peacefully and whether voters are able to cast their ballots without intimidation or undue interference.
For Adebayo, the stakes extend beyond the immediate contest.
He sees the Osun election as a potentially important warning for 2027, particularly if concerns about security, institutional neutrality and electoral fairness remain unresolved.
Also read: Bamidele Says APC Can Defeat Adeleke in Osun Poll
The SDP presidential candidate urged Nigerians to take the lessons from Osun seriously, warning that allowing similar problems to persist into the next general election would place the country on the wrong path.
