Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has warned against the heavy deployment of security personnel ahead of Saturday’s Osun State governorship election, saying the exercise could begin to resemble a military operation rather than a democratic process.
Atiku spoke on Wednesday at the ADC National Youth Leadership Summit in Abuja, where he urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and the Federal Government to ensure that state institutions do not influence the outcome of the election in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He described the Osun election as a critical test of Nigeria’s democratic credentials and said its conduct would indicate whether the country was prepared to deliver credible elections ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“Elections are civil engagements, not military operations. Ballot papers are not bullets. Voters are not enemy combatants. Opposition members are not insurgents,” Atiku said.
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The former vice president questioned the deployment of what he described as overwhelming security capacity to Osun when terrorists, kidnappers and bandits continue to attack communities across the country.
He warned that the scale and posture of the deployment could undermine public confidence in the election and make a civil democratic exercise appear like a military operation.
Atiku also cautioned INEC against actions that could frustrate voters or compromise the credibility of the process, including technical failures, unexplained delays and unclear procedures for handling election results.
He demanded the early arrival of electoral materials, unrestricted voting, credible counting and transparent transmission of results.
“The police belong to Nigeria. The military belongs to Nigeria. INEC belongs to the Nigerian people. None of them belongs to the APC,” he declared.
Atiku said Nigerians and the international community would be watching the election closely, urging all institutions involved to allow voters to freely choose their next governor.
“The world is watching Osun. Nigerians are watching. History is taking notes. Let the people vote. Let every vote count. And let the will of the people prevail,” he said.
The ADC candidate, Najeem Salaam, is among the major contenders in Saturday’s election, alongside incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party and the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.