Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Campaign Council in Osun State has accused Governor Ademola Adeleke of attempting to shield a wanted murder suspect arrested at the residence of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Teslim Igbalaye, and demanded the immediate dismissal of the SSG over the scandal. The allegations, made on Thursday, July 30, 2026, have further heightened political tensions in the state just over two weeks before the August 15 governorship election, with the ruling Accord Party and the opposition APC trading accusations of criminality and political persecution.
The controversy erupted on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, when operatives of the Osun State Police Command raided the private residence of SSG Teslim Igbalaye in the Oroki Estate area of Osogbo. According to the police, the operation was intelligence-led and targeted a suspected criminal gang operating in the area. During the raid, officers arrested Igbalaye and five others, recovering ₦4,810,500 in cash, a Dynabook laptop, a photocopy machine, a printer, two Permanent Voter Cards, and a voter register covering Wards 1 to 15 of Osogbo Local Government Area. Among those arrested was Abiodun Arowomole, popularly known as "Ashipa," whom the police described as a wanted murder suspect on the command's watchlist.
Addressing journalists in Osogbo on Thursday, the Head of Media and Publicity of the APC Governorship Campaign Council, Engr. Oluremi Omowaiye, alleged that Governor Adeleke was pressuring security agencies to secure the release of Arowomole and other suspects. Omowaiye claimed that Arowomole had been declared wanted in connection with several violent incidents, including the alleged killings of APC members and supporters, and an incident at Egbatedo in 2024 in which a passerby reportedly lost his life. "It is our position that no government genuinely committed to peace and security should be seen shielding criminal suspects or obstructing lawful investigations," Omowaiye said. He urged Governor Adeleke to cooperate fully with security agencies and allow investigations to proceed without political interference, and called on the governor to immediately sack Igbalaye if the allegations are substantiated. "If Governor Ademola Adeleke is not an enabler and aider of criminality in the state, he should sack immediately Alhaji Teslim Igbalaye, the Secretary to the State Government, in whose home a wanted murderer was arrested yesterday," Omowaiye declared. He also warned the governor against mounting pressure on the police to release Arowomole, insisting that the suspect should be allowed to face the full weight of the law.
The APC's accusations were swiftly dismissed by the Imole Campaign Council, which is leading Governor Adeleke's re-election campaign. The council's Director of Strategic Communication, Jamiu Olawumi, described the call for Igbalaye's removal as an insinuation calculated to smear the SSG's image. "They cannot match his stature, political relevance or rubbish his antecedents," Olawumi said. The Imole Campaign Council had earlier condemned the arrest of Igbalaye and other Accord Party members, accusing the Osun State Police Command of pursuing a political agenda under the leadership of Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Gotan. In a statement, the council's spokesperson, Pelumi Olajengbesi, argued that the police had abandoned their constitutional duties for political errands and were attempting to influence the upcoming governorship poll. "If Mr. Gotan or anyone for that matter in the Osun Police Command have so much interest in the APC, the honourable thing for them is to resign and join politics proper," Olajengbesi said. He also contended that the police's allegation of vote-buying against the SSG was inconsequential, noting that the N4.8 million recovered was below the N5 million threshold set by the Money Laundering Act for individuals.
The arrest of the SSG and the subsequent allegations have intensified the political atmosphere in Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship election. Governor Adeleke, who is seeking re-election on the platform of the Accord Party after defecting from the Peoples Democratic Party, has described the actions of the police as part of a campaign of intimidation. In a statement, he declared that the people of Osun State would not bow to intimidation and would defend their democratic rights at the polls. The Osun State Government has also condemned the police operation, describing it as a major threat to free and fair elections.
The controversy has drawn attention to the role of security agencies in the electoral process, with both parties accusing each other of using state institutions for political advantage. The police, however, have maintained that the operation was intelligence-led and part of ongoing efforts to curb electoral offences. The command has reiterated its commitment to enforcing the law without fear or favour, stating that no individual, irrespective of social status or political affiliation, is above the law. Igbalaye was released from police custody on Thursday afternoon, but the police confirmed that investigations into the matter are ongoing.
The APC's demand for the SSG's sack and its allegations that Governor Adeleke is shielding a wanted murder suspect have set the stage for a fiercely contested election, with both parties determined to paint the other as complicit in criminality. As the August 15 poll draws nearer, the people of Osun State are watching closely, hoping that the election will be decided by the ballot, not by the barrel of a gun or the weight of allegations.
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