By Ismail Azeez
Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, has called for economic sanctions and visa bans against the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, Senator Francis Fadahunsi, the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, Member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Wole Oke and several other political leaders over their alleged roles in aiding and abetting political violence in the state.
Speaking while receiving a diplomatic delegation from the British government ahead of the forthcoming Osun elections, Adeleke noted that the listed individuals actively promote political violence throughout the state through their cronies and allies, leading to a rise in targeted killings and gun attacks.
While commending security chiefs for stepping in to quell the unrest, the governor accused these opposition leaders of tactfully and openly encouraging violence.
He reiterated his strict stance against such actions and called on security agencies to arrest any suspect, regardless of their political affiliation.
The governor’s comments came in the wake of another political killing involving an Accord Party member at Ijebu-Jesa.
This latest incident brings the toll to five Accord members killed and 15 critically wounded by suspected APC thugs since the official commencement of the 2026 political campaigns.
Adeleke, who tasked security agencies with hunting down both the immediate suspects and their high-profile sponsors, argued that the publicly available utterances and actions of top Osun APC leaders fully justify his call for economic sanctions and visa bans on the opposition leadership.
During the dialogue, the governor stated that he maintains zero tolerance for violence and has explicitly informed the Inspector General of Police that even if his own son were involved in criminality, he should be arrested immediately.
He emphasized to the delegation that his administration harbors no thugs anywhere and firmly believes the police must enforce the law strictly.
Adeleke further explained that international deterrents are necessary against those promoting bloodshed, which is why he is advocating for visa bans against politicians sponsoring violent attacks, as well as similar sanctions against any security chiefs who choose to aid and abet these anti-democratic activities.
He maintained that elections should not be about bloodshed, as the people of Osun deserve the peace and freedom to choose who governs them without fear.
In response, the Senior Political Advisor of the British delegation, Wale Adebajo, explained to the governor that his team was visiting the state as part of a proactive, pre-election peacebuilding effort alongside other international partners.
He assured the state government that the British government strongly supports a peaceful and transparent electoral process, adding that the diplomatic team will continue to engage extensively with all political stakeholders to guarantee a secure environment ahead of the August 15th polls.