Osun group demands arrest of Sowore’s attackers

By Shina Abubakar, Osogbo

A coalition of civil society organisations in Osun State, The Osun Masterminds (TOM), has condemned the reported attack on the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Mr Omoyele Sowore, in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, and called on security agencies to identify and prosecute those responsible.

The group described the incident as a national disgrace and an assault on Nigerians’ rights to participate in politics, express their views and support candidates of their choice.

TOM’s Executive Director, Professor Wasiu Oyedokun-Alli, made the position known during the group’s monthly briefing on the state of the nation.

He said elections should provide an opportunity for candidates and political parties to present their policies and development plans to the electorate, rather than become occasions for violence and intimidation.

“Elections should be a festival of ideas, a peaceful contest of developmental blueprints, and a developmental milestone where the sovereign will of the people is freely expressed,” he said.

Oyedokun-Alli called on the Inspector-General of Police, the Department of State Services (DSS) and other relevant agencies to investigate the reported attack and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.

“We call on the Inspector-General of Police, the Department of State Services (DSS), and all relevant statutory agencies to rise above partisan politics and uphold the rule of law,” he said.

The group expressed concern that the political environment was becoming increasingly hostile to opposition figures and Nigerians expressing dissenting views.

It alleged that the electoral space was being turned into a combat zone where opposition figures and dissenting voices were targeted, silenced and physically assaulted.

Describing the reported attack as a national disgrace, particularly because it allegedly occurred in a public space, TOM also criticised what it said were attempts by security agencies and law enforcement authorities to downplay attacks on political figures.

“When security apparatuses and law enforcement agencies trivialize such high-profile acts of violence—dismissing life-threatening injuries as ‘minor’ or engaging in administrative denials—they surrender their neutrality and embolden the forces of tyranny,” the group stated.

Oyedokun-Alli warned that Nigeria could not guarantee credible, free and fair elections in 2027 if political violence was allowed to prevent candidates from campaigning and engaging with voters.