Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
What should have been a day of peaceful democratic expression descended into chaos and fear in Modakeke, Osun State, on Saturday, August 15, 2026, as men dressed in police uniforms allegedly stormed a Registration Area Centre (RAC), fired tear gas at election officials and voters, and disrupted the distribution of election materials. The incident, which occurred at Ward 10 (Modakeke Ward 3) in Ife East Local Government Area, has sparked widespread outrage and renewed concerns about the integrity of the electoral process in one of Nigeria's most fiercely contested governorship elections.
According to multiple reports and viral videos circulating on social media, the armed men invaded the RAC centre as officials were preparing to move election materials to polling units. A woman in one of the videos, visibly shaken, described the scene: “How can a police officer be using tear gas? They took materials and used tear gas. This is Modakeke Ward 10! People are running away, they have taken all voting materials.” Another woman, speaking in a video shared by Daily Post, said: “Why would a police officer drop tear gas, they have gone with materials. This is Modakeke Ward 10, come and see useless policemen. They came to throw tear gas at people, no fight, no disruption to warrant such action. The corpers all ran for their lives.”
The disruption was confirmed by the Imole Campaign Council, the re-election organisation of Governor Ademola Adeleke. In a statement, the campaign council's spokesperson, Pelumi Olajengbesi, said: “We have received a disturbing report, accompanied by video footage, alleging that Police personnel fired tear gas at persons assembled at the RAC Centre in Ife East Ward 10 (Modakeke Ward 3).” The council called on the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant security authorities to immediately investigate the incident and take steps to restore calm at the centre.
A source at the scene told The Sun Newspaper that the deployment of tear gas by the policemen was part of an attempt to intimidate voters and election monitors and discourage them from participating in the electoral process. “The police have started firing tear gas at us at the RAC centre. We had already assembled and were fully prepared to move to our various polling units with the election materials alongside the INEC officials before this unfortunate incident occurred,” the source said. NPO Reports also alleged that the disruption led to some election materials being carted away from the centre.
The incident in Modakeke comes amid heightened political tension in Osun State, where the governorship election pits incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party against the All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, and 13 other candidates. The election has been marked by allegations of violence, intimidation, and political thuggery, with security agencies deploying over 15,000 personnel to maintain order. However, the Modakeke incident has raised serious questions about the neutrality and professionalism of the police, with some observers questioning whether the men who stormed the centre were genuine police officers or impersonators.
Governor Ademola Adeleke, who voted in his hometown of Ede earlier in the day, confirmed that his campaign had received reports of the disruption. “We also received information about our supporters being scared away in Modakeke and some areas in the state by some police officers to disenfranchise them,” he said. The governor, however, expressed confidence in emerging victorious in the election.
The Nigeria Police Force has not yet issued an official statement on the Modakeke incident. However, the Force had earlier warned against any disruption of the electoral process and vowed to deal decisively with anyone found culpable. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has also not commented on the incident.
For the residents of Modakeke and the wider Osun State, the tear gas attack was a stark reminder of the fragility of democracy in Nigeria. As one resident put it, “We came to vote for our future, but they chased us away with tear gas. Is this what democracy looks like?” The incident has also drawn condemnation from civil society organisations and election observers, who have called for a thorough investigation and the prosecution of those responsible. As voting continues across the state, the shadow of the Modakeke incident hangs over the election, a sobering reminder that the fight for free and fair elections is far from over.
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