Oyo State governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Olooye Adegboyega Taofeek Adegoke, has cautioned politicians and their supporters against thuggery and violence ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning that such acts could scare voters away from the electoral process.
Adegoke gave the warning while fielding questions from journalists at Dominion Radio and Television, where he urged political parties and their candidates to prevail on their supporters to maintain peace before, during, and after the elections.
He said no political party could win an election solely with its members, stressing the need to secure the support of the wider electorate through peaceful campaigns and issue-based engagement.
The ADC candidate’s warning comes amid rising concerns over political violence in Oyo State.
On Wednesday, members of the Accord Party reportedly clashed with suspected hoodlums at Molete, Ibadan, leaving one person dead and several others injured. The incident also triggered panic among residents of the area.
Similarly, the All Progressives Congress (APC) alleged that its convoy was attacked by political thugs in Ibadan a few weeks ago.
Adegoke identified youth unemployment as one of the factors contributing to political thuggery, noting that a significant proportion of Oyo State’s population comprised young people who were not gainfully employed.
He promised to prioritise job creation for young people if elected governor, arguing that gainful employment would help reduce their vulnerability to political violence.
The governorship candidate also urged political leaders to moderate their campaign rhetoric, avoid hate speech, and focus on explaining their policies and how they intended to implement them.
According to him, his campaign is anchored on peace and issue-based engagement rather than personal attacks.
“Anytime I go out for campaign, I don’t go out with thugs. I don’t like violence; I don’t support violence. I preach peace always.
“We should talk to our supporters, our followers, to allow peace to reign. We should not scare away the electorate because without them we cannot win elections. We cannot win elections with our party members alone; we need the people.
“If our youth are fully engaged, they will not be available for thuggery and violence. I want to appeal to my colleagues that we should not allow people to turn Oyo into an avenue for attacks, an avenue for thuggery, where hoodlums will reign supreme. We don’t want that in Oyo.
“Our campaign should be issue-based. We should not incite the people. We should measure what we say. Don’t attack one another. Tell the electorate what you want to do and let them judge you.
“That is why I said my agenda is summarised in Nine Points – ‘SOLUTIONS’. So tell people what you want to do and avoid hate speech,” Adegoke pleaded.
