Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has called on residents and indigenes to ignore rumors of electoral manipulation and threats of political violence ahead of the August 15 governorship election, declaring his absolute confidence in winning convincingly with wide margins.

Responding to public concerns about potential rigging and intimidation, Adeleke said all necessary measures were in place to ensure voters could exercise their rights without hindrance, and that those peddling fear had only strengthened the people’s resolve to protect and sustain good governance in the state.

He said voters were determined to enforce free and fair elections through both formal and informal structures, and issued a direct warning that no security or electoral official would dare attempt to set Osun State on fire and that no federal official would contemplate rigging the election. He said the state’s history as the cradle of the Yoruba nation and as the ancestral home of the president gave it additional protection.

He also used the occasion to appeal to politicians across party lines to join his campaign, describing his candidacy as a pan-Osun movement rather than a narrow partisan exercise. He said the doors of the Accord Party were open to new members and invited those leaving what he called a sinking ship to join the light his candidacy represented ahead of August 15.