Osun Election: CONYSSA Cautions Youths Against Electoral Violence,

Maryam Aminu

The Coalition of Nigerian Youths on Security and Safety Affairs (CONYSSA) has called on young people in Osun State to resist every attempt by politicians and other desperate actors to use them as tools for electoral violence during the forthcoming governorship election.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Director General of CONYSSA, Amb. Ade-Mario Emmanuel, urged youths across the state to uphold peace, protect the sanctity of the electoral process, and demonstrate responsible citizenship before, during, and after the polls.

According to him, it is deeply disturbing that many of those recruited to perpetrate violence during elections are young people, who often end up losing their lives, sustaining life-changing injuries, or facing prosecution, while those who sponsor such acts remain untouched.

“It is painful that our youths are continuously being used as scapegoats and killing machines by selfish political actors. At the end of the day, it is the youths who are arrested, injured, imprisoned, or even killed, while those who instigated the violence go free,” he said.

Amb. Ade-Mario stressed that no political ambition is worth the life of any Nigerian youth, urging young people to reject inducements, resist manipulation, and refuse to become instruments of destruction.

“Our youths must stop allowing themselves to be used to kill one another. They must reject every form of electoral violence and instead become ambassadors of peace, agents of national unity, and pillars of nation-building. The future of our nation depends on the choices they make today,” he added.

The CONYSSA Director General also called on political parties, candidates, and their supporters to conduct their campaigns and election activities peacefully, in accordance with the Electoral Act and democratic principles.

He further urged security agencies deployed for the election to discharge their constitutional responsibilities with professionalism, neutrality, and fairness, emphasizing that they must protect lives and property, maintain law and order, and ensure that no individual or group undermines the credibility of the electoral process.

“The role of security agencies is to guarantee a peaceful atmosphere where every eligible voter can freely exercise their civic responsibility without fear or intimidation. They must not support or condone any act capable of disrupting the peace or compromising the integrity of the election,” he stated.

Amb. Ade-Mario reaffirmed CONYSSA’s commitment to promoting peaceful coexistence, youth development, and national security, expressing confidence that the people of Osun State would demonstrate political maturity by conducting themselves peacefully throughout the election period.

He appealed to all stakeholders to place the interest of the state and the nation above personal and political ambitions, noting that peaceful elections remain the foundation of sustainable democracy and national development.