- The Osun State House of Assembly has officially voiced its opposition to the abrupt redeployment of Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Mutiu Agboke to Ondo State.
- Speaker Adewale Egbedun alleged that the transfer is part of a “deliberate pattern” to influence the upcoming governorship election by reshuffling key ICT and administrative personnel.
- The parliament has urged the international community to monitor the August 2026 election closely, vowing that any attempt to subvert the will of Osun voters will be firmly resisted.
The legislative arm of Osun State has raised a red flag over recent administrative changes within the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Eko Hot Blog reports that on Thursday, April 9, 2026, the Speaker of the Osun House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, addressed the media in Osogbo regarding the sudden transfer of the state’s REC, Mutiu Agboke.
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Agboke had earlier confirmed his redeployment to Ondo State via a brief statement, thanking the local media for their cooperation.
However, Egbedun argued that the timing of this move, coming just months before the August 15 governorship election, raises “serious and legitimate questions” about the neutrality of the process.
Beyond the transfer of the REC, the Speaker alleged that there are ongoing plans to replace several other high-ranking officials, including Electoral Officers and ICT staff, across the state.
He contrasted the situation in Osun with Ekiti State, noting that while Ekiti also has an upcoming election, it has not faced a similar wholesale reshuffling of electoral personnel.
Egbedun suggested that these “calculated efforts” are specifically designed to weaken the integrity of the vote in key areas, particularly the Ife/Ijesa Senatorial District, where he claimed there are moves to use partisan individuals in supervisory roles.
Despite these concerns, the Assembly maintained a defiant stance, asserting that the political consciousness of Osun residents would prevent any successful manipulation of the results.
The Speaker emphasized that whoever is eventually deployed to conduct the election must strictly adhere to the Electoral Act and the Constitution.
He made it clear that the people of Osun are “politically vigilant” and that no amount of administrative restructuring would be enough to alter the actual resolve of the voters when they head to the polls.
The upcoming August contest is expected to be a high-stakes battle between the incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the PDP and major challengers like Bola Oyebamiji of the APC and Najeem Salaam of the ADC.
With 14 political parties in total vying for the seat, the Assembly’s intervention highlights the growing tension and the demand for a transparent process.
As the countdown to August 15 continues, all eyes remain on INEC to ensure that the redeployments do not undermine the credibility of what is already being described as a landmark election for the state.
