Adeleke Campaign Council Urges INEC to Address Election Shortcomings Ahead of Osun Poll

The Imole Campaign Council, which is coordinating the re-election bid of Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to address alleged irregularities observed during recent off-cycle and by-elections before the state’s governorship election scheduled for August 15.

Speaking to journalists in Osogbo on Monday, the council’s Director-General, Lere Oyewumi, raised concerns about the credibility of past elections, citing issues such as the alleged issuance of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to “mercenary voters,” shortages of ballot papers, and the circulation of pre-thumbprinted ballots during the 2026 Ekiti governorship election.

Oyewumi also pointed to technical glitches with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in Ekiti and the FCT Area Council polls, as well as instances where political parties not participating in elections were listed on ballot papers and result sheets.

He further alleged that some APC leaders in Osun had boasted about plans to preload BVAS machines ahead of the governorship election, describing such claims as a serious threat to the integrity of electronic accreditation.

On PVC distribution, Oyewumi urged INEC to ensure transparency and warned against proxy collection or any attempt to disenfranchise voters.

“The people of Osun are peaceful, politically conscious and deeply committed to democracy. They expect nothing short of a free, fair, transparent and credible election that faithfully reflects the wishes of the electorate,” he said.

The campaign council stressed that its concerns were not meant to discredit INEC but to encourage improvements, insisting that the Osun election offers an opportunity for Nigeria’s democratic institutions to demonstrate their commitment to credible polls.

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