The Nigeria Police Force has barred political figures and VIPs from taking armed escorts, security aides and other unauthorised persons to polling units and collation centres during Saturday’s Osun State governorship election.

The directive is part of the security measures being deployed by the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, to ensure a peaceful, secure and credible electoral process across the state.

The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, adding that the IGP had deployed Deputy Inspector-General of Police, DIG Ishyaku Mohammed, to Osun State to coordinate security operations for the August 15 governorship election.

DIG Mohammed will coordinate the Police component of the election-security arrangement and work closely with other security agencies under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, ICCES.

He will be supported by Assistant Inspectors-General of Police and Commissioners of Police strategically deployed across the state’s three senatorial districts to supervise operations, strengthen intelligence-led policing and ensure prompt response to emerging threats.

The Force said adequate security arrangements had been put in place for the protection of voters, INEC personnel, election materials, polling units, collation centres, accredited observers and media practitioners before, during and after the election.

The IGP, however, warned political actors, their supporters and all intending troublemakers that ballot snatching, voter intimidation, political thuggery and other electoral offences would attract prompt arrest and prosecution.

The Force further reiterated the ban on armed escorts, security aides and other unauthorised persons accompanying political figures or VIPs to polling units or collation centres on election day.

State-established security outfits, quasi-security groups and private security organisations are equally barred from election-security duties, in line with established Nigeria Police Force election-security directives.

The police urged eligible voters in Osun State to exercise their franchise peacefully and without fear, assuring residents and visitors of adequate security throughout the election period.

The Force also reaffirmed its commitment to professionalism, neutrality, respect for human rights and the protection of the electoral process.

The African Democratic Congress, ADC, has disclosed plans for the opposition coalition to defeat the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and unseat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, while speaking on plans for 2027 and other national issues, said discussions on building a broad opposition coalition ahead of next year’s presidential election are still open.

Abdullahi pointed out that the ADC has the conviction that only a robust and united opposition would have the political capacity to challenge President Tinubu and the ruling party.

While emphasising that the ADC was still interested in bringing opposition groups and political interests together, Abdullahi said the coalition project had not been abandoned.

“We still have not given up the possibility. Don’t forget that we started this coalition building. And we still believe that the window has not closed for the possibility of building a coalition ahead of 2027 because we believe that the opposition stands a better chance if we are all working together,” he said.

The ADC spokesman’s assertion followed the exit of Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his running mate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, from the earlier coalition arrangement.

Recall that Obi and Kwankwaso, in May 2025, defected from the ADC to the NDC, citing internal crisis and court cases.

Following their departure, the ADC conducted its primary election and produced a former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, as its flagbearer and thereafter named former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, as running mate.

The African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has declared that nothing can stop him from winning the 2027 election because he’s full of life and energy.

Atiku said he has contested and lost presidential and governorship elections severally, like the former United States President, Abraham Lincoln.

In an interview with Jaji TV Hausa, Atiku recalled how he contested the governorship seat in Adamawa State four times but the elections were cancelled by the military administration, only for him to win at that fifth attempt.

He said: “I am fit, healthy and full of energy, nothing can stop me. Let me tell you this, long before I ever won a governorship election, I contested four times, and each time the military regimes cancelled the process.

“It was only on my fifth attempt that I succeeded and became Vice President of Nigeria. This is nothing new in politics. How many times did Abraham Lincoln lose elections before he finally became President of the United States?”

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