National Chairman of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Seriake Dickson, has declared that the party would defeat federal might during the 2027 general elections.

Dickson vowed never to allow the deployment of security operatives and armed thugs against Nigerians during the polls.

Posting on X, the former Bayelsa State governor declared that there would be no room for violence and intimidation.

“I want to assure you that every vote will count. There will be no room for violence, intimidation, or the deployment of security operatives and armed thugs against law-abiding citizens, as some people do.

“We believe the people’s will is supreme. Thank you once again for your prayers and support for me and for all the candidates of our party.

“Together, we must remain vigilant and ready to democratically resist intimidation, oppression, violence, inducements, and every attempt to undermine the will of our people.

“We have defeated federal might severally before, and, by the grace of God, we shall do so again, with me leading from the front, as you know.”

NDC would be participating in the 2027 elections with Peter Obi as its presidential candidate.

The Osun Masterminds, TOM, has expressed concern over the worsening insecurity in Osun State ahead of the August 15, 2026 governorship election.

This is as the group called on security agencies, political parties and electoral stakeholders to ensure a peaceful, free and credible poll.

Speaking during the organisation’s July 2026 State of the State address on Thursday, the Executive Director of TOM, Professor Wasiu Oyedokun-Alli, said the state’s security situation had deteriorated in recent months, with increasing reports of cult-related violence, armed political thuggery and clashes linked to the election season.

“Residents in Osogbo, Ede, Ilesa and Ile-Ife now live under growing anxiety as confrontations involving rival political groups and cult gangs increasingly occur in public places, disrupting commercial activities and threatening public safety,” he said.

Oyedokun-Alli said the rising insecurity should not be separated from preparations for the governorship election, warning that unchecked violence could discourage voter participation and undermine confidence in the electoral process.

“We sound a stern note of caution to all relevant stakeholders—the State Government, political parties, candidate campaign structures, local government administrators, and security agencies—that the peace and stability of Osun State must not be sacrificed on the altar of desperate political ambitions,” he added.

The group urged political parties to disband informal security outfits, armed militias and political enforcement squads allegedly operating across the state.

It also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, ICCES, to deploy impartial and adequate security personnel to polling units and collation centres across Osun’s 332 wards.

TOM maintained that security agencies should guarantee the safety of voters and election officials, stating that a credible election could only be achieved in an atmosphere free from intimidation, harassment and violence.

The organisation also expressed concern over what it alleged were politically motivated arrests, arbitrary detentions and selective law enforcement targeting opposition members, political activists, media commentators and other critical voices in the state.

Oyedokun-Alli alleged that some individuals had been arrested after expressing political opinions on social media or participating in peaceful political activities, describing such actions as inconsistent with constitutional democracy.

“Such practices are alien to constitutional democracy, violate fundamental human rights guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and signal a dangerous descent towards authoritarianism,” he said.

He called on the Nigeria Police Force, the Osun State Police Command, the State Criminal Investigation Department and other security agencies, to remain neutral and professional throughout the election period.

He stressed that every suspect should be treated in accordance with the law, granted access to legal representation and arraigned within the statutory period where appropriate.

The Osun Masterminds while warning that police officers should not allow themselves to be used for partisan purposes, insisted that security institutions have a constitutional responsibility to protect all citizens irrespective of their political affiliations.

Osun State Government has accused the Nigeria Police of carrying out coordinated raids on the residences of senior government officials, alleging that the operations amount to intimidation ahead of the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, the government claimed that the latest operation involved the residence of the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Teslim Igbalaye, where police officers reportedly arrested individuals attending a political meeting.

According to the government, “the ward officials were meeting within the premises of the SSG’s residence while Igbalaye himself was attending the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) stakeholders’ forum elsewhere in Osogbo when police officers entered the property.”

Alimi alleged that the operation was led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, adding that members of the SSG’s family were also taken away during the raid.

“The SSG’s residence was bursted by a combined team of police officers led by the Deputy Commissioner for Operations, with family members of the SSG taken to unknown destinations,” the statement said.

The state government further alleged that the operation formed part of a series of similar actions targeting members of the administration, claiming that the residences of about six commissioners and other senior government officials had also been searched by security operatives.

It also claimed that the residence of the Commissioner for Energy, Festus Adeyemo, in Ikire was raided on Tuesday, alleging that officers searched the premises and damaged property during the operation.

According to the government, “several other commissioners had reported surveillance around their homes, while some residences were allegedly entered despite, it claimed, the absence of any unlawful activity.”

The statement alleged that a number of members of the Accord had been detained at the Criminal Investigation Department of the Osun State Police Command without being granted bail following recent security operations.

Describing the development as an attack on democratic institutions, the government said, “These raids on the SSG and our commissioners are an aggravated assault on the government and people of Osun State. This campaign of repression constitutes grave danger to democracy.”

The government also accused the Osun State Police Command of acting in a partisan manner, alleging that the security agency had become “a direct tool in the hands of Osun APC” and was undermining constitutional principles.

It argued that the timing of the operations, which coincided with the visit of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission for election-related engagements, could negatively affect public confidence in the electoral process.

The government appealed to the Inspector-General of Police, the Nigeria Police Service, the National Security Adviser, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and traditional rulers to intervene, urging them to halt what it described as targeted actions against government officials and members of the Accord Party.

“Our governor has consistently tasked the populace to calm down and not to take law into their own hands. The situation is reaching a boiling point. We must save our democracy from these lawless elements within the Nigerian police,” the statement added.

The government’s reaction came after an earlier announcement by the Osun State Police Command confirming the arrest of several suspects, including Secretary to the State Government Teslim Igbalaye, during an operation linked to an investigation into alleged vote buying in Osogbo.

The police’s disclosure was contained in a statement issued by the command’s spokesperson, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan.