Residents of Osun State on Monday staged a protest demanding the redeployment of the state's Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, over alleged bias and partisanship ahead of the August 15, 2026 governorship election.
According to the protesters, the growing violence and political tension witnessed across the state in the build-up to the election have been fuelled by what they described as the failure of security agencies to ensure the prosecution of perpetrators of politically motivated attacks.
The protesters alleged that the lack of accountability for those responsible for acts of violence has emboldened political thugs and heightened fears among residents.
"We are demanding the transfer of the police commissioner over bias as election approaches," one of the protesters stated.
The protest comes amid mounting concerns by civil society organisations, political stakeholders and residents over the neutrality of policing operations in the state and the ability of security agencies to guarantee a peaceful electoral process.
