Osun Election: Audi Visits Adeleke, INEC as NSCDC Warns Against Violence and Voter Intimidation

OSOGBO: The Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Prof. Ahmed Abubakar Audi, arrived in Osun State on an operational visit as security agencies stepped up preparations for Saturday’s governorship election.

Audi met Governor Ademola Adeleke, visited the Independent National Electoral Commission headquarters and later addressed NSCDC personnel deployed for the election.

His message was consistent at each stop; electoral materials must be protected, political violence must be confronted and security personnel must remain within the law.

ValidViewNetwork reports that the visit came as concerns over voter intimidation and election-related violence continued to shadow the August 15 poll.

At his meeting with Adeleke, the governor commended Audi for personally undertaking the operational visit. The Governor also praised the NSCDC for protecting critical national assets and infrastructure across the state.

However, the governor used the meeting to raise concerns about what he described as recent security threats from political factions allegedly seeking to intimidate voters.

He urged the Corps to deploy adequate personnel, neutralise security threats and arrest anyone planning violence or attempting to disrupt the election. The warning comes against a backdrop of sustained political violence in Osun.

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A state approaching election day under pressure

Recent monitoring has recorded 73 election-related violent incidents in Osun between October 2025 and July 2026, according to an analysis of political violence in the state.

The incidents reportedly resulted in 29 deaths, with 78 percent occurring between May and July as political activity intensified. Osogbo emerged as one of the principal hotspots.

The violence has included clashes, attacks and allegations of political intimidation.That history has made election security one of the defining concerns of the final days of the campaign.The question is no longer simply whether the candidates can mobilise supporters.

It is whether voters can reach polling units without being threatened, electoral officials can operate without interference and political parties can accept the rules of the contest. That is the environment Audi entered on his operational visit.

Audi takes the warning to INEC

After meeting Adeleke, Audi proceeded to the INEC State Headquarters, where he met the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola.

The NSCDC chief reaffirmed the Corps’ responsibility to protect critical national assets, including electoral materials and facilities.He also warned against vandalism and interference with the electoral process.

“The NSCDC is an integral part of election security. We are partners in this process, and anyone who attempts to vandalise assets or interfere with the election will be seriously dealt with,” Audi said.

Babalola thanked the Commandant General for the visit and commended the cooperation between INEC and the Corps. She said Audi’s presence demonstrated leadership and commitment to the electoral assignment.

The meeting also underscored a less visible but crucial part of election security. Protecting the election does not begin when voters arrive at polling units.

Electoral materials, officials and facilities must first survive the journey to those polling units. A disruption at that stage can compromise an election before the first ballot is cast.

Audi warns NSCDC officers against excesses

At the Corps’ state command headquarters, Audi addressed personnel assigned to election duties. His instructions were directed at the conduct of the security officers themselves.

He ordered them to maintain professionalism and strictly observe the rule of law. Audi specifically warned officers against being trigger-happy.

He instructed them to comply with established rules of engagement and maintain close coordination with sister security agencies.

The Nigeria Police Force, he said, remains the lead agency for election security operations.The warning is important in an election environment where security personnel can become as consequential as the political actors they are deployed to contain.

The responsibility is to stop violence without creating another source of fear. A security officer who uses excessive force can intimidate a voter as effectively as a political thug.

Audi’s instruction therefore places two obligations on the Corps; firmness against those who seek to disrupt the election and restraint by those assigned to protect it.

10,210 NSCDC personnel added to security operation

Audi’s visit also comes as the NSCDC expands its operational footprint in the state. The Corps announced on Monday that it had deployed 10,210 personnel and specialised tactical units for the Osun election.

The deployment includes personnel drawn from neighbouring state commands, alongside specialised formations designed to support intelligence gathering, tactical operations, crowd control and protection of critical infrastructure.

The deployment is an additional layer to the wider security operation for the election. The Nigeria Police Force has separately announced the deployment of 15,000 personnel for the poll.

Together, the two agencies have announced more than 25,000 personnel for the election. The scale of the deployment reflects the concern surrounding the poll.

But numbers alone cannot guarantee a peaceful election. The quality of the operation will depend on intelligence, coordination, neutrality and the ability to intervene before political disputes become violence.

Why the security operation matters

Osun’s election is taking place after months of heightened political competition.The campaign has produced allegations of violence, intimidation and other forms of electoral malpractice from rival political camps.

The documented violence makes those concerns harder to dismiss as ordinary campaign rhetoric.

When violence increases sharply in the months immediately preceding an election, the security challenge changes. The objective becomes preventing isolated incidents from becoming coordinated attacks. It means identifying flashpoints before voters arrive. It means protecting electoral materials before they reach polling units. It means separating rival groups when tensions rise.

And it means ensuring that security personnel themselves remain neutral. ValidViewNetwork reports that the heavy security presence is therefore not simply about putting more uniforms on the streets. It is about creating enough deterrence to make political violence a bad calculation.

The real test comes on Saturday

Audi’s visit has placed the NSCDC’s operational responsibility firmly in public view. He has warned political actors who attempt to interfere with the election. He has reassured INEC that electoral assets will be protected.

And he has warned his own officers that professionalism and the rule of law must govern their conduct.

Those three messages converge on one objective: protecting the voter’s right to participate. A peaceful election is not measured by the number of security officers deployed.

It is measured by whether citizens can walk into polling units without fear. It is measured by whether electoral officers can work without intimidation. It is measured by whether political parties can compete without turning supporters into combatants. And ultimately, it is measured by whether the losing side can accept defeat through lawful channels.

ValidViewNetwork reports that Audi’s operational visit comes at a critical point in Osun’s electoral calendar.

The NSCDC has added thousands of personnel to the security architecture, but the success of the operation will depend on what those personnel actually do when political tensions rise.

For Audi, the instruction is clear; protect the election, confront those who threaten it and do not allow the security operation itself to become a threat to voters.

Saturday will test whether that balance can be maintained.