The Imole Campaign Council (TICC) has condemned the alleged vandalisation of campaign billboards belonging to the Accord Party and those of Governor Ademola Adeleke, describing the act as a threat to peace and democratic participation ahead of the Osun State governorship election.
In a statement issued on Friday by its spokesperson, Barrister Pelumi Olajengbesi, the council called on the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), security agencies, civil society organisations, election observers and the international community to take urgent notice of what it described as rising politically motivated violence in the state.
According to the statement, billboards belonging to the Imole Campaign and the Accord Party were allegedly destroyed in several Local Government Areas, including Irewole, Ayedaade, Ife, Irepodun, Oriade and Osogbo.
The group alleged that the destruction was carried out in a coordinated manner and claimed that it had credible information linking the act to certain individuals and compromised security elements, though these claims were not independently verified.
It warned that the trend, if unchecked, could undermine the peace currently being enjoyed in Osun State and distort the electoral process.
The council accused opposition political actors of resorting to intimidation and destruction of campaign materials after, according to it, failing to present a compelling alternative agenda to the electorate.
“This is not ordinary politics. It is a direct threat to democratic engagement and peaceful participation in the electoral process,” the statement read.
TICC urged the Inspector-General of Police to launch an immediate investigation into the incident and ensure that those responsible, as well as their alleged sponsors, are identified and prosecuted.
It also appealed to international election observers and human rights organisations to monitor developments in Osun State closely, warning of what it described as attempts to introduce violence into the political environment.
The group maintained that Osun remains a peaceful and democratic state and should not be allowed to descend into unrest due to political rivalry.
It reaffirmed that Governor Adeleke remains focused on governance and development, insisting that no amount of intimidation would undermine the will of the people ahead of the election.
