By Stella Odueme
The Spokesperson of the Imole Campaign Council for the Governor Ademola Adeleke Campaign Centre, Pelumi Olagenbesi has called for a free, fair and credible governorship election in Osun State, alleging that the state’s Commissioner of Police is partisan and should not oversee security for the poll.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Friday, the campaign spokesperson described the forthcoming Osun governorship election as a critical test of Nigeria’s democratic institutions ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to him, the credibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and other security agencies would be judged by how transparently the election is conducted.
“The coming election in Osun State is important to Nigeria and to the whole world. It is a major test of the integrity of INEC, the Inspector-General of Police and our institutions to determine whether Nigeria is prepared to conduct free, fair and credible elections ahead of the 2027 general elections,” he said.
Olagenbesi disclosed that the campaign had submitted a second petition to the British High Commission and other international stakeholders, alleging that the Commissioner of Police in Osun State had become partisan.
“We have written again to the British High Commission because the police in Osun State are completely compromised. The current Commissioner of Police is working for a political party. This should not happen in a democracy where we are talking about free, fair and equitable elections,” he alleged.
He appealed to the international community, election observers and civil society organisations to closely monitor the election to ensure that voters are allowed to freely choose their preferred candidate.
“The people of Osun State must be allowed to go to the polls and vote for a candidate of their choice. Our goal is to ensure that INEC, the police and all security agencies perform their responsibilities fairly and impartially.”
The campaign Spokesperson also called on the Inspector-General of Police to replace the state’s Commissioner of Police with what he described as “neutral officers with a high level of professionalism” before the election.
He alleged that the police had failed to act against individuals accused of violent crimes while providing protection for political thugs linked to the opposition.
“Questionable characters who have been charged to court for serious crimes are visibly being protected by the Nigerian police. APC thugs whose identities are known are being escorted by the police, while incidents of killings have gone without proper investigation,” he claimed.
Citing specific incidents, he alleged that a man identified as Robert was murdered in the presence of his wife and three children without justice being served, while a 14-year-old boy was also allegedly killed in broad daylight with no meaningful police action.
The campaign further accused security operatives of assisting unidentified persons in taking over motor parks across the state to influence election logistics.
“Three days ago, the Nigerian police and some unknown thugs invaded all the motor parks in Osun State and hijacked them because they wanted to control logistics for the distribution of election materials. That is a dangerous development,” he alleged.
The Spokesperson insisted that Nigeria’s democracy was under threat and urged authorities to ensure that the election is conducted strictly in accordance with the law.
“We are not asking for any favour. We are only demanding that the election process follows the laid-down legal procedures so that people can freely vote for the candidate of their choice.”
Also speaking at the briefing, the representative of the Coalition of Public Interest Lawyers and Advocate, Olufemi Franklin Olufemi Esq., described the Osun governorship election as a “litmus test” for Nigeria’s electoral system ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Olufemi urged INEC, the Inspector-General of Police and other election stakeholders to discharge their constitutional responsibilities without bias.
“This election is a litmus test that must examine the credibility and integrity of all stakeholders. The people must not be robbed of their choice of governor. Nigerians deserve a safe environment to exercise their franchise,” he said.
He stressed that Nigeria had matured beyond being described as a young democracy and called on the electoral commission to remain independent while urging the police to uphold the rule of law.
“We are asking the Inspector-General of Police to stand up to his constitutional duty. We are asking INEC to remain impartial and independent in the true sense. Government is about serving the people, not private interests.”
Olufemi also challenged the media to continue holding public institutions accountable throughout the electoral process.
“We urge the press not to be afraid to speak truth to power. The media has a critical responsibility in ensuring that the election is free, fair and credible,” he added.
