OSOGBO: Panic broke out in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, on Saturday night after sporadic gunshots were heard around the Olaiya area as results from the 2026 governorship election were being uploaded.
Residents reportedly ran for safety as the gunshots heightened tension in the area, coming shortly after voting ended across the state.
The incident occurred amid the ongoing electronic upload of polling unit results and the commencement of the collation process by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
As of the time of filing this report, the source and circumstances surrounding the gunshots remained unclear.
There was no immediate official statement identifying who fired the shots or confirming whether the incident was connected to the election.
The development nevertheless raised concerns among residents and election stakeholders, particularly as political parties and their supporters awaited the outcome of the closely contested governorship poll.
The Osun election has attracted significant attention, with incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party facing a strong challenge from the All-Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji.
Results uploaded to INEC’s IReV portal were being monitored by political parties, observers and members of the public as collation continued.
Earlier reports indicated that hundreds of polling unit results had been uploaded to the portal, although the official declaration of the winner remained the responsibility of INEC.
Security agencies had been deployed across the state to maintain law and order before, during and after the election.
The reported gunshots in Osogbo came at a sensitive stage of the electoral process, when tensions could rise over disputed results or claims of irregularities.
Authorities are expected to clarify the circumstances surrounding the incident and reassure residents as the collation of results continues.
INEC has yet to make the final declaration of the winner of the Osun State governorship election.
