Businessman Isaac Fayose has sounded the alarm over escalating political violence ahead of Saturday’s governorship election in Osun State, warning that the development signals deeper instability for Nigeria’s democratic trajectory.
The intervention follows the circulation of a video on Thursday by Afrobeat artist Davido, which appears to show the arrest of 11 suspected political thugs allegedly linked to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The footage, widely shared on social media, depicts the suspects being transported in a vehicle branded with APC campaign insignia.
Fayose, reacting to the footage, described the situation as evidence of systemic desperation. “I hope you all are seeing APC’s respiration in Osun. They have flooded the state with all kinds of thugs. We are in trouble,” he said. “APC wants to win by force and so they brought thugs to the state. We are in trouble in 2027. If you think we are okay, we are not.”
He warned that the tactics observed in Osun could foreshadow broader challenges in the next general election cycle, urging citizens to reclaim civic agency. “This APC desperation does not have part two. Nigerians, you must arise and take your country back. This is definitely not the country you want.”
The two leading parties in the contest — the APC and the Accord Party — have exchanged accusations of orchestrating attacks and intimidation across multiple local government areas. Reports of violent clashes and targeted killings in the run-up to the vote have compounded security anxieties.
Electoral authorities have not yet commented on the specific arrests shown in the video. However, the Inspector General of Police recently announced the deployment of 15,000 personnel, including 30 commissioners of police, to secure the election. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) confirmed that 1.91 million permanent voter cards have been collected, out of 1.9 million registered voters eligible to participate.
Observers say the convergence of high-profile public interventions, viral evidence of organized thuggery, and heavy security deployment underscores the fragility of the electoral environment. The outcome in Osun, a key swing state, is widely seen as a bellwether for political momentum ahead of the 2027 general Elections.
