Osun poll: Don’t boo, vote, NASFAT urges residents
NASFAT
Abdullateef Fowewe
The President of the Nasrul-Lahi-L-Fatih Society (NASFAT), Dr Ayodeji Abdulwahid AbdulRauf, has issued a passionate appeal to disadvantaged communities in Osun State to “come out and vote massively” in Saturday’s governorship election and resist political cynicism.
In a statement shared with Dailyeconomy, he specifically urged low-income citizens, youth and minority communities to “do justice with their voter cards” on August 15, 2026, warning that staying away from the polls would weaken their collective voice in deciding the state’s future.
In a plea ahead of the Osun poll, AbdulRauf said he would “consider it a personal insult, an insult to humanity legacy, if this community lets down its guard and fails to activate itself in this election.”
Although his name is not on the ballot, he argued that progress in “justice, education, civil rights, and ending mass incarceration” in Nigeria depends heavily on voter turnout from historically marginalised groups.
He stressed that voting rights “must be exercised,” insisting that communities that have long faced systemic disadvantages “cannot afford to sit on the fence” while others decide their fate at the ballot box.
The NASFAT President warned that “the stark, simple truth is this: The right to vote is threatened in Nigeria today in a way that it has not been since the beginning of democratic government in Osun State.”
He cited rigid identity checks and the removal of manual voting options as examples of institutional barriers that disproportionately shut out low-income earners, minorities and working-class citizens who struggle to leave their jobs or businesses to vote.
AbdulRauf also highlighted how “the modern technological and economic landscape exacerbates inequality,” leaving vulnerable populations feeling isolated and discouraged from participating in elections.
Addressing growing frustration with governance, AbdulRauf cautioned that “giving up or giving in to cynicism and division would represent a betrayal of founding ideas.”
He acknowledged that disadvantaged communities often feel alienated by an inefficient democratic system, but insisted that abandoning faith in the power of the ballot “completely relinquishes control to careless and ruthless leaders.”
“Don’t boo. Vote,” he repeated, using one of his recurring refrains to remind angry or disillusioned citizens that “anger or vocal protests are meaningless if they are not backed up by real ballot box power.”
AbdulRauf accused “powerful political interests” of intentionally counting on disadvantaged people dropping out of the system “so that those in power can maintain control.”
He declared that “enough is enough,” insisting that “the poor voices must be heard and their votes must count” in the Osun election.
He appealed to all political parties, candidates, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and other stakeholders to “give peace space in their do’s and undo’s on Saturday” so that the people of Osun can enjoy “a new breath of good governance and impactful dividends of democracy.”
Concluding his message, the NASFAT President prayed that “Almighty Allah, who giveth power to whom He wants, will surely do same for the people of Osun State,” expressing hope that “the best candidate that will be beneficial to the citizens and residents of Osun State for good governance and impactful developmental projects shall carry the day.”
