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Security was heightened across Osogbo on Friday as preparations intensified for Saturday's Osun State governorship election, with armed soldiers deployed around the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters.
Security personnel mounted strategic positions around the commission's office on the Osogbo-Gbongan Road, while the access road leading to the facility was barricaded to regulate traffic and safeguard election materials.
The deployment came as INEC completed the distribution of sensitive election materials to the state's 30 local government areas under the supervision of the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola.
The exercise, which began on Thursday night, was briefly delayed following a Federal High Court ruling directing the electoral body to include the Social Democratic Party (SDP) on the ballot.
With the inclusion of the SDP, the number of political parties participating in the election increased from 14 to 15.
By about 11:30 p.m. on Thursday, buses conveying the sensitive materials were seen departing the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) premises in Osogbo to their respective local government destinations.
Meanwhile, tension ahead of the election kept many residents indoors despite the absence of any public holiday declaration by the state government.
The Osun State Secretariat in Abere was largely deserted, with most civil servants absent from work.
Many business owners also kept their shops closed, while traffic across major roads in Osogbo remained unusually light.
Several residents said they chose to stay indoors over fears of possible violence following reported killings and political unrest in the build-up to the election.
A trader, Mrs. Tayo Akanji, said she stayed away from her shop because of concerns over possible attacks.
Another trader, Mr. Remi Akanni, said he decided not to open for business for fear that hoodlums could take advantage of any unrest to loot shops.
Residents expressed hope that security agencies would ensure a peaceful, credible and violence-free governorship election across the state.
