The Save Democracy Group, a bipartisan platform of members of the House of Representatives, has demanded a full investigation into the violence and deaths linked to the 2026 Osun State governorship election, warning that political competition must never become a justification for the loss of Nigerian lives.
The group also called for an investigation into a viral video allegedly showing Senator Francis Fadahunsi making comments interpreted as encouraging supporters to kill members of the Accord Party in Ilesa.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Monday and signed by the leader of the group, Awaji-Inombek Abiante (NDC, Rivers); Abubakar Kusada (APC, Katsina) and Mansur Jega (ADC, Kebbi), the lawmakers said every death arising from political violence must be investigated, and those responsible brought to justice.
The group commended Osun voters for turning out to exercise their democratic right despite the tension, intimidation and violence that preceded the election.
It, however, expressed concern over the scale of violence reported before and during the poll, noting that the Nigeria Police Force had said in July that it was investigating 30 suspected politically motivated killings linked to the election build-up.
The lawmakers also cited civil society reports documenting 56 politically related violent incidents and 14 fatalities.
They further recalled that, on August 13, two days before the election, a resident of Esa-Oke was reportedly killed while another person was injured in a shooting.
“These figures represent human beings — fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, political supporters and ordinary citizens whose lives should never have been sacrificed for political ambition,” the group said.
Against this backdrop, the lawmakers questioned the effectiveness of the extensive deployment of security personnel to Osun State, arguing that the presence of large numbers of security personnel should translate into effective protection of lives and property.
“The deployment of security personnel must not become a substitute for effective policing,” the group said, demanding comprehensive investigations by the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services, National Human Rights Commission and other competent authorities.
The lawmakers singled out the alleged comments by Senator Fadahunsi for investigation, stressing that political leaders must be held to account for statements capable of inflaming an already volatile political environment.
Fadahunsi has reportedly denied inciting violence, but the Save Democracy Group said the denial should not prevent authorities from independently examining the video, its context and the circumstances surrounding the remarks.
“Political leaders occupy positions of influence and must understand that words capable of encouraging violence can have deadly consequences in an already volatile environment,” the group said.
It urged the Inspector-General of Police, DSS, NHRC and other relevant authorities to investigate the statement and determine whether it breached any law.
“Where the evidence establishes that an offence was committed, Senator Fadahunsi, like any other Nigerian, must be prosecuted in accordance with the law,” it said.
The group further urged relevant domestic and international legal authorities to examine whether any conduct established by credible evidence could trigger applicable international criminal-law standards.
“Political office must never confer immunity from accountability,” it declared.
Beyond the election violence, the lawmakers questioned what they described as the unprecedented scale of security deployment for the Osun governorship election.
While acknowledging that Osun’s history of political violence warranted adequate security preparations, the group said the Federal Government should explain the criteria used in determining the size and composition of the security deployment.
It expressed concern that states battling terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and attacks on security personnel frequently complain of inadequate security resources, even as an extraordinary concentration of personnel was deployed for an election.
“Security must be based on assessed risk, not political calculations,” the group said.
It consequently demanded that the Federal Government publish the security assessment and deployment framework used for the Osun election and explain how security resources are being distributed across the country.
The lawmakers pointed specifically to recent attacks in Kebbi and Sokoto states.
They cited a reported gun battle in Sakaba Local Government Area of Kebbi State in which 10 police officers and two civilians were killed, with two other police officers injured.
In Sokoto, they said communities in and around Kebbe Local Government Area continued to face attacks by armed groups, while an Assistant Superintendent of Police, Hussaini Balarabe, was reportedly killed during a gun battle with bandits.
“These incidents illustrate the uncomfortable reality facing Nigeria. While extraordinary security resources can be mobilised for an election, communities confronting persistent insecurity continue to lose civilians and security personnel. Nigeria cannot police elections more effectively than it protects its citizens,” it added.
The group noted that the Osun election should serve as a major test and rehearsal for the 2027 general elections.
It urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct a comprehensive post-election review, identifying logistical, technological, administrative and procedural weaknesses that could undermine future elections.
“The 2027 election will be considerably larger and more consequential,” the group said, stressing that “INEC cannot afford to learn the same lessons twice.”
The lawmakers also reiterated their call for the immediate reconvening of the National Assembly to address what they described as matters of urgent national importance.
They urged the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives to reconvene both chambers for an emergency session to consider the worsening security situation, killings of civilians and security personnel, controversies surrounding the proposed State Police amendment, implementation of the 2024, 2025 and 2026 budgets, and declining public confidence in democratic institutions.
The group cited Ghana’s Parliament as an example of a legislature willing to return from recess to address urgent national concerns.
“Nigeria’s Parliament must do the same,” it said.
The lawmakers further maintained that the country could not afford to treat insecurity and political violence as normal features of democratic competition.
“No government can claim success when citizens are afraid to vote, communities are afraid to sleep and security personnel are being killed while defending the country,” it noted.
It called for full investigations into political violence, prosecution of perpetrators where criminal responsibility is established, accountability for political actors who incite violence, and an urgent overhaul of Nigeria’s national security strategy.