Governor Ademola Adeleke’s campaign team, the Imole Campaign Council, TICC, has accused the Osun State Police Command of attempting to influence the August 15, 2026 governorship election.
The council also alleged that the recent arrest of the Secretary to the State Government, Teslim Igbalaye, was politically motivated.
In a statement issued on Thursday by its spokesperson, Pelumi Olajengbesi, the campaign council described the operation as a reckless abuse of authority and claimed it reflected what it called the police command’s partisanship ahead of the election.
“The Osun Police Command, led by Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Gotan, had departed from its constitutional responsibility of maintaining law and order and had instead become involved in political activities.
“The arrest of Igbalaye and others was part of an attempt to remove key Accord leaders and mobilisers from the political scene before the governorship poll. We reject allegations linking the arrested individuals to criminal activities.
“The unlawful raid on the home and arrest of the SSG, Hon. Igbalaye, has proven our concerns right. Attempts by the police to portray the arrested officials as criminals is nothing but a comical relief hurriedly put up to whitewash a terrible policing job,” the campaign team said.
TICC argued that any police watch list remained an internal security document unless an individual had been officially declared wanted.
It described references to such a list in relation to Igbalaye as “irresponsible and a brazen act of blackmail”.
The campaign council also challenged the police’s interpretation of electoral laws, insisting that the Electoral Act 2026 did not support allegations of vote buying more than two weeks before an election.
It maintained that the section of the law cited by the police applied specifically to election day.
On the issue of the reported ₦4.8 million recovered during the operation, the council argued that there was no legal prohibition against possessing such an amount.
It claimed that the sum was below the threshold specified under the Money Laundering Act for individuals.
According to TICC, “The funds were intended to cover logistics, including transportation costs for Accord mobilisers attending a political meeting. Possession of the voters’ register did not constitute an electoral offence because the register is publicly available to all participating political parties.”
The statement alleged that suspected APC supporters had recently invaded collation centres in Okuku, Odo-Otin Local Government Area, and Akarabata in Ile-Ife, carting away Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs.
It claimed that the incidents were acknowledged during a stakeholders’ meeting in Osogbo but alleged that the police had failed to act against those responsible.
“We urge the Osun Police Command to note that it is not a political party nor an arm of the APC, but a public institution funded by taxpayers’ money. Accord members are being subjected to harassment and intimidation without legal justification,” it stated.
The campaign council called on the police authorities to release Igbalaye and the other detained individuals immediately.
“Democracy should be about the contest of ideas, not the rule of force, and the Police should know that its job is strictly law enforcement, not forcing leadership choice on the people.”