Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Imole Campaign Council, the re-election vehicle of Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, has fired a dramatic pre-election salvo at the Independent National Electoral Commission, demanding the immediate removal of All Progressives Congress chieftains allegedly assigned to handle the transportation and distribution of sensitive election materials across the state's 30 local government areas. In a letter dated August 10, 2026, addressed to the Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner, the campaign council named specific individuals and local government areas where it claimed active APC members had been given critical roles in the logistics chain for Saturday's governorship election, warning that the alleged partisan involvement could fatally undermine public confidence in the electoral process.
The letter, signed by the Director-General of the Imole Campaign Council, Senator Lere Oyewumi, and titled "Request for Immediate Review of Operators Engaged for the Logistics and Distribution of Election Materials," expressed grave concern over what the council described as a troubling pattern in the list of coordinators and transport operators reportedly compiled by INEC for the movement of election materials across the state. "We write to formally bring to the attention of the Commission a matter of serious concern which, if not urgently addressed, could undermine public confidence in the integrity and credibility of the forthcoming 15 August 2026 Governorship Election in Osun State," the letter stated.
The campaign council alleged that the list contained individuals it described as "known chieftains, leaders and active supporters" of the APC. Among those named was Semiu Akofe, reportedly listed to coordinate election-material logistics in Iwo, who the council alleged is an APC chieftain. In Ila, Abdullahi Oderanti was said to be a serving executive member of the APC in the local government. The council also alleged that Akeem Olanrewaju, listed for logistics operations in Ede North, is an APC chieftain, while Ibrahim Lukman, assigned to transport election materials in Ede South, is a prominent APC member. In Egbedore, the campaign named Oyegoke Abiola, listed as a public transport operator, as an APC chieftain, while Ayoola Makanjuola and Ayantunji Akeem, reportedly assigned responsibilities involving the movement of election materials in the area, were described as well-known APC leaders.
The campaign council insisted that its concerns extended beyond the individuals specifically mentioned, claiming that a similar pattern had been observed in logistics arrangements across all 30 local government areas of the state. "The transportation, custody and distribution of election materials are central to the integrity of the electoral process, and their handling must be entrusted to persons whose neutrality cannot reasonably be questioned," the letter argued. The council therefore urged INEC to urgently review its list of coordinators and transport operators and remove any individual whose active partisan affiliation could compromise, or create a perception of compromising, the neutrality of the electoral process.
The allegations come amid heightened political tension in Osun State, with just days remaining before the August 15 governorship election, which pits incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party against the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, and other contenders. The Imole Campaign Council had earlier raised other concerns, including an alleged plot by the APC to pressure INEC into abruptly ending voting by 12 noon in some parts of the state, a move the council described as an attempt to suppress votes and disenfranchise eligible voters in areas regarded as political strongholds of Governor Adeleke. "The people of Osun State must be allowed to exercise their constitutional right to vote freely and peacefully without obstruction, intimidation or deliberate disenfranchisement," the council said in a statement issued on Monday.
The campaign council also accused the APC of having previously attempted to exclude Adeleke and his party from the ballot through legal challenges, and of subsequently resorting to arrests, intimidation and harassment of Accord Party members by the police. It alleged that the purported attempt to influence INEC was another effort to undermine the electoral process after the earlier measures allegedly failed to weaken support for the governor. The council did not provide details of the intelligence it said formed the basis of the allegation, but it called on INEC to ensure that electoral rules were applied uniformly across the state "without fear, favour or political interference".
The latest complaint also follows an earlier petition by the campaign to the National Human Rights Commission over alleged police intimidation, and a separate call for INEC to address concerns over alleged shortages of ballot papers and other sensitive election materials in previous elections. The campaign council has urged civil society organisations, election observers, international bodies and the media to monitor the election closely and act as watchdogs against any attempt to manipulate state institutions. "The Osun State governorship election is a precursor to the 2027 general elections, and it must be free, fair, transparent and devoid of any manipulation or disenfranchisement," the council said.
INEC has not yet issued a public response to the campaign council's letter. However, the electoral body has already begun moving sensitive materials to Osogbo and has deployed over 30,000 corps members for the election. The commission is under intense scrutiny to conduct a credible poll in a state where political violence has already claimed multiple lives and where both major parties have exchanged allegations of vote-buying and electoral malpractice. The Imole Campaign Council's demand for the replacement of alleged APC supporters handling election logistics represents a significant challenge to INEC's operational integrity. The electoral body will have to weigh the council's allegations against its own verification processes and decide whether to replace the named individuals or defend its list. The outcome of that decision could have far-reaching implications for public confidence in the electoral process and for the credibility of the election itself.
As Osun State prepares for the crucial vote, the Imole Campaign Council has made its position clear: it will not accept the involvement of partisan individuals in the handling of sensitive election materials. "We consider the alleged involvement of individuals with identifiable partisan affiliations in such sensitive logistical responsibilities deeply troubling," the letter stated. The council's letter, which named names and cited specific local government areas, has raised the stakes for INEC and for the APC, which has yet to respond to the allegations. With the election now just days away, the commission faces a critical test of its ability to ensure a level playing field for all parties. The people of Osun State, and indeed the nation, will be watching closely to see whether INEC heeds the call for neutrality or allows partisan interests to compromise the integrity of the electoral process.
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