Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has accused the police of aiding alleged attempts by the All Progressives Congress to intimidate voters and manipulate the ongoing governorship election in the state.
Adeleke made the allegations while speaking to journalists shortly after casting his vote, alleging that some security personnel were being used to disrupt voting in parts of the state.
He called on the Inspector-General of Police and other security agencies to investigate the situation and ensure that security personnel remained neutral throughout the election.
The governor alleged that a police officer from Port Harcourt, whom he identified by the nickname “London,” had been brought to Ede to disrupt the election.
“On authority information that there is one police officer that they brought to come and do a hatchet job in the APC Osun, from Port Harcourt. They call his nickname London. He’s here in Ede hiding,” Adeleke said.
“His own job is to come and destroy Ede and then avoid so that he can scare people, shooting so that they will not vote. So I’m calling Inspector-General of Police to take note. I am calling on the security agencies to take note. They should redeploy him.”
Adeleke said he did not want violence in the state, stressing that the election should allow residents to freely exercise their constitutional rights.
“We don’t want him in Osun, we don’t want violence in Osun. All we want is free and fair election so that people can perform their civic duties,” he said.
The governor also raised concerns about the collation of results, insisting that election results should follow the established process from polling units to wards and then local government areas before reaching the state level.
“The pattern of voting should be from units to wards to local government. Not that they will take local government collation straight to state capital. That is unacceptable,” he said.
Adeleke further alleged that the APC had attempted to introduce fake ballot papers into the election, urging voters and election officials to remain vigilant.
“That is a form of rigging, and I am calling on the authorities that the APC have tried to rig and have some fake ballot papers. I want Osun people to watch out for that too,” he said.
The governor also alleged that police officers were aiding the use of tear gas against voters in Modakeke and Obaagun, claiming the incidents were intended to scare voters away from polling units.
“Right now, as I’m voting, I just received a call in Modakeke and Obaagun that police is aiding them to teargas them so that people can run away. People are resolute. They just want to perform their civic duty,” Adeleke said.
He added that alleged political thugs had also made away with a ballot box in one of the affected areas.
“The thugs took the ballot box and ran away. We have already reported this to the security agencies. I hope they do something so that they will not turn Osun State into a war zone,” he said.
Adeleke, however, said voting in his immediate area had remained peaceful and expressed hope that the situation would remain calm across the state.
“I’ve already told you, so far so good, it’s been peaceful in my area here. I hope it’s like that cut across. But it’s not peaceful in Modakeke and, of course, in Obaagun,” he said.
Despite the allegations, Adeleke expressed confidence in his chances of winning the election, saying he was relying on the support of the people and his faith.
“But I can assure you, at the end of the day, I have God on my side and I have my people on my side. I am going to win this election,” the governor said.
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