- Adeleke’s campaign urged INEC to prevent irregularities in the Osun governorship election
- The council alleged flaws in recent off-cycle elections, including BVAS and PVC issues
- It called for transparent electoral processes ahead of the August 15 governorship poll
The Imole Campaign Council, the organisation coordinating the re-election bid of Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure the shortcomings recorded in recent off-cycle elections are not repeated during the forthcoming governorship poll in the state.
Speaking at a press briefing in Osogbo on Monday, Eko Hot Blog gathered that the council’s Director-General, Lere Oyewumi, expressed concern over what he described as irregularities witnessed in recent elections conducted in Ogun, Oyo, Jigawa and Ekiti states.
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According to Oyewumi, reports from those elections suggested that some individuals believed to be hired voters were issued Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) shortly before election day.
He also alleged that there were cases of inadequate ballot papers and other sensitive electoral materials, while claiming that some ballot papers distributed during the 2026 Ekiti governorship election had already been thumb-printed.
The campaign council further alleged that elections held in Ekiti and the Federal Capital Territory Area Councils experienced technical issues linked to the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
Oyewumi also claimed that in the Anambra, Ekiti and FCT elections, the names of political parties that did not sponsor candidates still appeared on ballot papers and result sheets.
Raising additional concerns ahead of the Osun governorship election, he said the council had received reports that some leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state allegedly boasted about preloading BVAS machines before the election.
“If such claims are true, they undermine the credibility of electronic voter accreditation and suggest an attempt to predetermine the outcome instead of allowing the people’s votes to decide the election,” he said.
The council also expressed concern over the ongoing distribution of Permanent Voter Cards by INEC, urging the electoral commission to conduct the exercise openly and fairly.
Oyewumi warned against any attempt to deny eligible voters access to their PVCs and insisted that the collection process should not permit proxy collection.
He stressed that the observations were intended to improve the credibility of the electoral process rather than undermine confidence in INEC.
“The Osun governorship election offers another opportunity for Nigeria to strengthen public trust in its democratic institutions. The people of Osun deserve a peaceful, transparent, free and credible election that truly reflects their choices,” he said.
He urged INEC to address the issues raised and implement necessary safeguards before the August 15 governorship election.
Osun voters are scheduled to elect a new governor on August 15, with 14 political parties participating in the contest.
Governor Ademola Adeleke, contesting on the Accord platform, APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Dr Najeem Salaam, are regarded as the leading contenders in the race.
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