Osun Belongs To All Of Us — Party Chairmen Unite For Historic Peace Summit

By Tosin Olasunkanmi, Osogbo

Chairmen of 12 political parties in Osun State have unveiled plans for the state’s first Peace Summit, saying the initiative is aimed at fostering dialogue among political stakeholders and ensuring a peaceful, credible and violence-free governorship election on August 15, 2026.

The initiative was announced on Tuesday by the Chairman of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Dr. Tosin Odeyemi, while addressing journalists on behalf of the Forum of Osun State Political Party Chairmen.

Odeyemi said the summit was conceived in response to the approaching governorship election and the need to bring together key stakeholders in the electoral process to deliberate on measures that would guarantee peace before, during and after the poll.

“As the gubernatorial election draws near, we felt there is a need for us as party chairmen to gather stakeholders in the electoral process under one roof for a critical discussion, hence the need for this Peace Summit,” he said.

According to him, the primary objective of the summit is to secure a collective commitment to a peaceful electoral process and preserve the integrity of the election.

“The main purpose is to map out ways of having a peaceful electoral process before, during and after the election and reach a conclusive agreement,” Odeyemi stated.

He stressed that although the participating chairmen belong to different political parties with varying political interests, the peace and stability of Osun State remain paramount.

“Osun belongs to every one of us regardless of political party differences, and we, as party chairmen, must play our roles in promoting and sustaining a free, fair, credible, transparent, inclusive and peaceful electoral environment in our dear state.

“We are from different political parties with different candidates, but we are putting those differences behind us because we know the interest of our state supersedes all.”he said.

Odeyemi urged political actors and residents of the state to embrace tolerance, accommodation and peaceful coexistence irrespective of the outcome of the August 15 governorship election.

“It is our wish that this forthcoming election will be without rancour. We want to emphasise the values of tolerance, accommodation and peaceful living among the residents irrespective of the outcome of the August 15, 2026 governorship election,” he added.

Odeyemi described the proposed Peace Summit as the first of its kind in Osun State, expressing optimism that it would set a new standard for peaceful democratic engagement in the state.

“The event, which will take place on a date to be announced soon, is first of its kind in Osun, and we strongly believe that it will change the narrative of our governorship election.

“That is why we are coming out today to publicly declare what we want, We want peace in our state.” He stated.

The forum noted that chairmen of 12 registered political parties are participating in the initiative, including the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Labour Party (LP), National Democratic Congress (NDC), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Action Alliance (AA), among others.