•Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State
The Imole Campaign Council (TICC), the campaign organisation of Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, has called on the United Kingdom, international observer missions and civil society organisations to closely monitor the August 15 governorship election in Osun State, describing the poll as a crucial test of Nigeria’s democratic institutions ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja today after submitting a petition to the British High Commission, the spokesperson for the council, Pelumi Olajengbesi, alleged that the Nigeria Police Force in Osun State had become compromised and urged the international community to ensure the election is conducted in a free, fair and credible manner.
According to him, the Osun governorship election is not only significant to the people of the state but also to Nigeria’s democratic credentials, reports The Guardian.
Olajengbesi said the campaign council had submitted what he described as a second petition to the British High Commission to express concerns over the conduct of security agencies in the state, particularly the police.
He said: “The coming election in Osun State is important to Nigeria and the entire world. It is a major test of the integrity of INEC, a major test of the integrity of the Inspector-General of Police and, beyond that, a major test of the integrity of our institutions to know if we are prepared enough to conduct free, fair and credible elections ahead of the 2027 general election.
“We are very concerned because the police in Osun State are completely compromised. The current Commissioner of Police is acting in a partisan manner and working for a political party. This should not be happening in a country that prides itself as a democracy,” he alleged.
Olajengbesi appealed to the federal government, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and international observers to ensure that voters are allowed to freely elect candidates of their choice without intimidation or interference.
“We are using this opportunity to call on the international community and the Federal Government of Nigeria to ensure that the election in Osun State is free and fair. The people of Osun State must be allowed to go to the polls and vote for the candidate of their choice,” he said.
He urged the Inspector-General of Police to redeploy the Osun State Commissioner of Police ahead of the election, alleging that the police command had failed to respond appropriately to incidents of political violence in the state.
According to him, several killings and attacks allegedly linked to political violence had not been properly investigated, while individuals accused of perpetrating the violence had not been arrested.
He also alleged that some persons had recently taken over motor parks in the state in an attempt to control logistics for election materials, accusing the police of failing to intervene.
“The Inspector-General of Police must ensure that neutral and professional police officers are deployed to Osun State to guarantee a credible election. This election will be monitored globally, and Nigeria’s democracy is under serious scrutiny,” he said.
Olajengbesi stressed that the campaign council was not seeking preferential treatment for Governor Ademola Adeleke but only wanted the electoral process to be conducted strictly in accordance with the law.
“We are not asking anyone to favour Governor Ademola Adeleke. We are simply asking that the election be conducted in line with the Constitution and the Electoral Act so that the people can freely choose their governor,” he added.
The governorship election in Osun State is scheduled for August 15, with Adeleke seeking a second term in office.
