Recent allegations by the Accord that campaign vehicles reportedly associated with Bola Oyebamiji, AMBO, are being rebranded in Accord colours and allegedly used to carry out attacks aimed at implicating political opponents should be of serious concern to all lovers of peace and democracy in Osun State.
Security agencies must investigate and establish the truth. But the claims are serious enough to demand urgent attention. No election is worth a single life, and no political ambition should be pursued at the expense of peace and public safety.
My message to AMBO is direct: guard your name. Political office is temporary; reputation is permanent. The August 15, 2026 governorship election will pass. Campaigns will end, posters will come down, alliances will shift. But names linked to violence, intimidation, and bloodshed remain in public memory for decades.
History is not kind to those who place ambition above humanity. Even when victories are won, the pain inflicted on victims and their families does not fade. Children grow up remembering who they hold responsible for their suffering. Communities preserve those memories for generations.
If supporters acting in your name are involved in actions that threaten chaos and insecurity, they damage your political project more than any opponent can. Every act of violence linked to a candidate erodes public trust and weakens the moral authority required to lead.
A good name is worth more than any office. It outlives you. It is the inheritance you leave for your children and grandchildren. A damaged reputation, in contrast, becomes a burden for generations that had no part in creating it.
For this reason, all political actors in Osun must exercise restraint. The state has enjoyed relative peace and must not be dragged into avoidable tension because of electoral competition. Campaigns should be about ideas, programmes, and vision, not fear, intimidation, or violence.
As the election approaches, security agencies must investigate every allegation thoroughly and hold anyone found planning or sponsoring violence accountable, regardless of political affiliation.
To AMBO and every politician seeking public office, the message is clear: protect your name more than your ambition. When the election ends, your title may change, but your name remains. Ensure history remembers it for service, honour, and peace, not for violence, division, and regret.
Signed:
Comrade James Onifade
Advocate for Good Governance and Judicial Reform
