Violence: Osun Monarchs Warn Against Repeat Of ‘Operation Wetie’, Demand Free, Fair Election

•Ask Security Agencies To Be Neutral

Traditional rulers in Osun State have issued a strong warning against a repeat of the violent ‘Operation Wetie’ era, insisting on a free, fair and peaceful governorship election on August 15, 2026.

The monarchs, under the leadership of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, made this known following a five-hour meeting in Ile-Ife on Monday.

Posting the details of the meeting on his Facebook page on Wednesday, the Orangun of Oke-Ila, Oba Adedokun Abolarin, said the royal fathers expressed their displeasure over the rising tension and political killings in the state.

In the meeting, which was presided over by the Orangun of Ila, Oba Abdudlwahaab Olukayode Oyedotun, the monarchs stressed that Osun and Nigeria cannot afford a repeat of the ugly scenarios that followed the 1965 Western Region election.

“We remembered the 1965 Western Region election that birthed Operation Wetie. We remembered how that crisis opened the door to military incursion into our body politics. We remembered the 30-month Civil War from 1967 to 1970 that followed. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH,” Oba Abolarin wrote.

The Ooni and other monarchs said they had entered into a sacred bond for peace with four key demands.

The demands include that the INEC “give Osun a free, fair, credible, and transparent election. Let the votes of our people count. Let August 15th be a day of celebration, not sorrow.”

The monarchs also asked the security agencies to “be neutral. Protect lives and property. Do not take sides. Your duty is to keep peace, not to break it.”

Similarly, they asked political actors and parties to see their “opponents as brothers. The crown, the office, and power are transient. BLOOD IS NOT. Do not shed the blood of our children for ambition.”

READ ALSO

•August 15: INEC Chairman Visits Osun, Seeks Royal Intervention Over Political Tension

•INEC Extends PVC Collection In Osun As 322,822 Voters Pick Up Cards

Advising the electorate, the traditional rulers asked them to “come out peacefully to vote. Guard your PVC. Reject thuggery, violence, and hate speech. Osun is bigger than any candidate.”

The monarchs also pledged neutrality, saying palaces across the state “will remain open to ALL” and that they “will not endorse chaos. We will not bless violence. We will bless peace.”