Two days to Saturday’s Osun State governorship election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced the reprinting of ballot papers and result sheets following a court order directing the inclusion of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate, Dr Francis Olugbenga Ajala, in the race.

INEC, in a statement issued by the national commissioner and chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, said Ajala and his running mate, Faseke Babajimi Oladipo, had been added to the ballot.

The development means that 15 political parties will now contest the August 15 governorship election.

According to the commission, the decision followed a judgement delivered by the Federal High Court, Abuja, on July 22, 2026, in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/344/2026, involving the SDP, Ajala and INEC.

The court ordered the electoral commission to recognise, accept, upload, process and publish Ajala’s name and particulars as the SDP candidate for the election.

In compliance with the judgement, INEC said it was reproducing the ballot papers and result sheets to accommodate the SDP candidate.

The commission said the reproduced materials would arrive in Osun State today, Thursday, August 13, and would immediately be moved to various local government area offices across the state in line with its established procedure for deploying sensitive electoral materials.

The development has placed additional logistical pressure on INEC as preparations intensify for Saturday’s poll.

INEC, however, assured political parties, candidates and voters of its commitment to conducting a free, fair and credible election and urged all stakeholders to remain focused on the electoral process.

Tensions have escalated in Osun State ahead of Saturday’s governorship election following allegations by the All Progressives Congress (APC) that Dele Ayegbo, nephew of the party’s campaign Director-General, Wole Oke, has been gunned down.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Osun APC spokesperson Kola Olabisi revealed that Ayegbo was killed on Wednesday night near his residence in the Idofin area of Esa-Oke, located in the Obokun Local Government Area.

According to the party, suspected hoodlums operating from a vehicle carried out the attack.

“The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned the killing of the party’s governorship campaign Director-General, Wole Oke’s nephew, Dele Ayegbo, in Esa-Oke, Obokun Local Government Council Area of the state on Wednesday night by the hit squad of the Accord Party who have been terrorising the members and supporters of the opposition APC across the state,” the statement reads.

“Information has it that Ayegbo was gunned down at the road junction close to his house at the Idofin quarters area of the ancient town by the Accord Party hoodlums who were riding in a car.”

Olabisi stated that two party members were targeted in the shooting. While Ayegbo died instantly at the scene, the second victim sustained gunshot wounds and was rushed to an undisclosed local hospital for medical treatment.

Describing the violence as intolerable, Olabisi demanded immediate action from law enforcement agencies.

“The killing of the nephew of our campaign Director-general in Esa-Oke is one death too many which must be urgently unravelled by the police in the interest of fairness and justice,” he said.

Decrying the rising violence, Olabisi claimed that more than 30 APC members have been killed by political thugs, with Ijesaland bearing the heaviest toll—accounting for 17 of those fatalities since 2022.

“A common observation has been that whenever our members were killed, the self-acclaimed chief security officer of the state would not condemn the killing which gives credence to his approval of the rampant extra-judicial killings of our members and supporters in the state,” Olabisi further claimed.

He urged the Osun State Police Command to intervene swiftly before voters go to the polls on August 15, alleging that the attack was designed to intimidate the electorate.

The Osun State Governor and Accord Party governorship candidate, Ademola Adeleke, has said he is not intimidated by the alleged support of the Federal Government and some state governors for the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate ahead of the August 15 governorship election.

Speaking on Tuesday during the Arise Townhall Meeting, Adeleke described himself as a “bulldozer”, saying he was prepared to confront what he described as “Federal might” and the influence of governors campaigning for his opponent.

He dismissed suggestions that the presence and support of serving governors could influence the outcome of the election.

“I am a bulldozer. I am not afraid of Federal might and governors backing the APC candidate. If they like, they should bring all the governors,” Adeleke said.

He said the governors supporting the APC candidate were his friends, stressing that their presence in the state would not translate into votes for his opponent.

According to him, the governors were free to campaign and mobilise support for the APC candidate, but they would not be able to vote in the election.

“Those governors are my friends. I am a civilised administrator. They won’t vote; they can only come and dance, and after the election, we will meet,” he said.

Adeleke also rejected allegations that his administration had militarised the state, saying he lacked the constitutional powers to deploy the armed forces.

“I did not militarise Osun. I have no such capacity. I am not the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces,” he said.

The governor’s remarks came amid heightened political activities in Osun State, with political parties intensifying campaigns, mobilisation and voter engagement ahead of Saturday’s election.