The Imole Campaign Council has alleged that the All Progressives Congress, APC, is planning to pressure the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to end voting by 12:00 noon in selected local government areas of Osun State during the August 15, 2026 governorship election.
In a press statement issued in Osogbo on Monday, August 10, 2026 the council said it received “credible intelligence” of the alleged plot.
“The desperate plot allegedly targets local government areas known to be political strongholds of Governor Ademola Adeleke, with the apparent objective of suppressing votes and disenfranchising thousands of eligible voters,” the statement said.
The council condemned the alleged plan and called on Nigerians and democratic stakeholders to take note.
“We unequivocally condemn this despicable plot and alert all Nigerians and lovers of democracy to the danger it poses to the credibility of the election,” it said. “The people of Osun State must be allowed to exercise their constitutional right to vote freely and peacefully without obstruction, intimidation or deliberate disenfranchisement.”
The statement also accused the APC of previous attempts to weaken the Adeleke administration ahead of the poll.
“The APC, after failing in its attempts to blot out Governor Adeleke and his party from the ballot through the courts, resorted to arbitrary arrests, intimidation and harassment of Accord Party members by the police,” the council said. “Now that those schemes have failed to weaken the resolve of the people, we have received information suggesting another attempt to deploy federal might and exert pressure on the electoral umpire to sabotage the will of the Osun people.”
The Imole Campaign Council urged INEC to remain independent and follow due process on election day.
“We therefore call on INEC to resist every form of political pressure and strictly adhere to its established voting procedures and timelines,” it said. “No polling unit should be arbitrarily closed while eligible voters who presented themselves within the stipulated voting period are waiting to exercise their franchise. The rules must be applied uniformly across Osun State without fear, favour or political interference.”
It described the Osun governorship election as important to the credibility of future polls.
“The Osun State governorship election is a precursor to the 2027 general elections, and it must be free, fair, transparent and devoid of any manipulation or disenfranchisement,” the statement said. “The credibility of our electoral institutions and the confidence of Nigerians in the democratic process are at stake.”
The council further called on civil society organisations, election observers, international bodies and the media to monitor the process.
“We call on civil society organisations, independent election observers, international bodies and the media to remain vigilant and continue to protect our democracy by serving as active watchdogs against desperate political actors seeking to manipulate state institutions to perpetrate electoral crimes,” it said.
The statement concluded: “The people of Osun State are ready to vote. They must be allowed to vote, and every lawful vote must count.”