The Osun State Governor and candidate of the Accord Party, Ademola Adeleke, has raised the alarm over alleged attempts by what he described as “desperate and rejected politicians” to hijack or disrupt collation centres following the governorship election in the state.
Adeleke, in a message directed to President Bola Tinubu on Saturday, urged the President to use his office to issue a clear warning to the heads of security agencies deployed to Osun State to protect the electoral process and ensure that the votes cast by residents are duly respected.
The governor said reports of alleged plans to interfere with the collation of results across the state were “deeply concerning and unacceptable”, particularly considering the large number of security personnel deployed to provide security during the election.
“It is imperative that you use your good office to issue a clear warning to the heads of security agencies deployed to protect the good people of Osun State and safeguard the integrity of the electoral process,” Adeleke said.
The governor’s appeal came amid the ongoing collation of results from the governorship election, with political parties and their supporters closely monitoring the process.
Adeleke specifically raised concerns about alleged attempts to take control of collation centres, urging the President to ensure that security personnel deployed for the election remain neutral and protect the electoral process rather than allow political actors to interfere with the announcement and collation of results.
“Reports of attempts to hijack or disrupt collation centres by desperate and rejected politicians across the state are deeply concerning and unacceptable, particularly given the large number of security personnel deployed to ensure a peaceful and credible election,” he said.
The governor called on Tinubu to reiterate his commitment to ensuring that the votes of Osun residents count and that the eventual outcome of the election reflects the genuine choice of the electorate.
“I therefore implore you to reiterate the commitment made to the people of Osun State that their votes will count and that the outcome of this election will reflect their genuine choice,” Adeleke said.
He also urged the security agencies deployed for the election to strictly adhere to the President’s directive and ensure that the electoral process is protected from interference.
Adeleke specifically mentioned the Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Services (DSS), Nigerian Army and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), among other security agencies, saying they must play their roles in protecting the integrity of the electoral process.
“The Nigeria @PoliceNG, @OfficialDSSNG @HQNigerianArmy @official_NSCDC and other security agencies must strictly adhere to this directive, while @inecnigeria must be given every necessary support to conclude the process and deliver a credible and transparent outcome,” he said
The governor also called for institutional support for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to enable the commission to complete the collation process without intimidation or interference.
According to him, the electoral commission must be allowed to perform its statutory responsibilities and conclude the process in a manner that reflects the votes cast by the people.
Adeleke further maintained that the people of Osun State had already expressed their preference through the ballot and that their decision should not be undermined during the collation and declaration stages.
“The people of Osun State have spoken with one voice, and their voices must be heard. Their votes must be protected, and their mandate must be respected,” he said.
The governor’s statement adds to growing concerns surrounding the post-election collation process in Osun State, where security agencies have been deployed across the state as results from polling units and wards are being collated.
The demand also places responsibility on security agencies to prevent any action capable of undermining the credibility of the election, particularly at collation centres where results are being formally aggregated.
While Adeleke did not identify the individuals or political groups allegedly planning to disrupt the collation, he described those behind the alleged attempts as “desperate and rejected politicians”
He urged the President to act swiftly to prevent any attempt to interfere with the process, insisting that the outcome must be determined by the votes cast by the electorate.
The governor’s central demand is that the security architecture deployed for the election should be used to protect voters, election officials, electoral materials and the collation process, while INEC is allowed to complete its duties without interference.
He also stressed that the credibility of the election would depend not only on the conduct of voting but also on the transparency of the collation and declaration of results.
As collation continues, Adeleke said the priority should be to protect the votes already cast and ensure that the final result reflects the genuine choice of Osun voters.
