In the unfolding drama ahead of the August 15, 2026 Osun State gubernatorial election, the Osun State Civil Society Matter Committee of the Imole Campaign Council, under the leadership of Hon. Funso Babarinde, has once again raised the alarm over what it describes as desperate and systematic attempts by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to subvert the will of the people.
The APC’s frantic maneuvers are not just an insult to the democratic process. They expose a party that has run out of ideas and is now relying on manipulation, inducement, and intimidation to cling to or recapture power.
APC, Your Secret Has Been Exposed
Your plan to rig this election has failed even before it began. The people of Osun are wide awake, and the schemes that worked elsewhere are crumbling under public scrutiny.
Reliable reports indicate that the APC is attempting to import people from Ibadan and other locations, offering them ₦10,000 each to infiltrate polling units and vote illegally.
This brazen quest for power through hired voters is not only illegal but deeply insulting to the sovereignty of Osun people. If a party must resort to renting human beings like commodities to win an election, what does that say about its confidence in its own popularity and performance? Should this plan proceed, those behind it will surely regret it. The people of Osun have proven time and again that they cannot be bought or fooled indefinitely.
Another disturbing report from Ikirun paints an even darker picture. The APC is allegedly forcing residents to pledge votes for its candidates, treating voter cards as if they were bags of rice distributed during election season.
Worse still, there are claims of voter cards being arranged and distributed to ineligible individuals who are not bona fide residents or are otherwise unqualified to participate. This is a direct assault on the integrity of the electoral roll and the foundation of democracy itself.
Compounding these allegations is the reported plan to steal ballot papers in anticipation of defeat. Knowing that Governor Ademola Adeleke is poised to emerge victorious based on his performance and the genuine support he enjoys across the state, the APC is said to be preparing desperate measures, including potential violence to disrupt the process. These are not the actions of a confident political party. They are the tactics of an entity gasping for relevance.
The APC should not forget that Osun people are politically sophisticated. Whatever resources are at the disposal of Osun people will be deployed to mount irresistible resistance on election day. No such attempt will succeed.
The forthcoming gubernatorial election belongs to the people. It is the clearest expression of democracy, and no one will be allowed to induce or manipulate the outcome on that day. All these tactics being deployed by the APC are dead on arrival.
To The People Of Osun:
Be watchful and careful. Do not fall victim to these schemes. Your vote is your power. Guard it jealously. Reject monetary inducements, report suspicious movements around polling units, and remain vigilant against any form of manipulation.
Civil society organizations, election observers, and security agencies must rise to the occasion to ensure that the 2026 election reflects the true will of Osun citizens, not the orchestrated schemes of a desperate opposition.
The APC must be reminded that Osun State is not a conquered territory to be looted or rigged at will. The era of “business as usual” in election manipulation is over.
Osun deserves better than recycled desperation. The choice in 2026 should be made by Osun people, in Osun, for Osun — not by imported voters, fake cards, or stolen ballots.
Signed:
Media Unit,
Osun State Civil Society Matter Committee of Imole Campaign Council
