The Osun State chapter of the Traditional Religion Worshippers Association has formally appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission to postpone the August 8, 2026 governorship election, citing security and logistical concerns arising from the annual Osun-Osogbo Festival.
In a letter dated January 20, 2026 and addressed to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the association’s president, Dr. Oluseyi Atanda, warned that the coincidence of the election with the climax of the globally acclaimed festival could overstretch security agencies and disrupt electoral operations.
PLATFORM TIMES reports that the grand finale of the 2026 Osun-Osogbo Festival is scheduled for Friday, August 7 — a day before the governorship poll — with massive influx of worshippers, tourists and cultural enthusiasts expected from across Nigeria and abroad.
Atanda said the festival, recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage site, remains Nigeria’s largest crowd-pulling cultural event and is traditionally fixed through spiritual calculations that do not permit alteration.
“The Osun-Osogbo Festival is a sacred connection to Osogbo and has become a world tourism event.
“It is customarily held on a spiritually calculated Friday and cannot be shifted. History shows that attempts to move it in the past had disastrous consequences,” he stated.
According to him, activities on August 7 will not end until about 6pm when the Arugba returns to the palace, adding that the huge presence of visitors could make enforcement of movement restrictions difficult and pose security risks on the eve of the election.
“Many adherents and tourists from within and outside Nigeria would have been in town. Holding the election the next day may create security challenges, as politicians may want to take advantage of the crowd to cause mayhem,” the letter read.
The association urged INEC to emulate past decisions taken in the interest of national security, recalling that the 2015 presidential election was shifted from February 14 to March 28 due to similar concerns.
“It is our fundamental right to protect the sacredness of our spiritual festival. We respectfully request the commission to shift the date of the Osun governorship election,” Atanda added.
INEC has yet to respond officially to the appeal as of the time of filing this report.
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