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Rigging Attempt: Police aiding APC to intimidate voters in Osun — Adeleke
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.
Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, has approved the appointment of new members and principal officers to key state institutions as part of the administration’s ongoing efforts to reform institutions, strengthen governance and enhance effective service delivery.
Secretary to the State Government, Prof Chidiebere Onyia, disclosed this in a statement made available to Newsmen on Friday, September 4,2026 in Enugu.
The appointments are as follows:
CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION
Prof. Gabriel Ajah — Chairman
Christian Mbah — Member One
Mrs. Stella Ekweremadu — Member Two
Mrs. Theresa Onyefuzili Ifeanyichukwu — Member Three
Uzonna Emmanuel Ogarabe — Member Four
Ambrose Nwodo — Secretary
ENUGU STATE TECHNICAL AND VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING (TVET)
Dr. Amaka S. Ngene — Chairman
Bonaventure Onu — Member
Barr. Nnadi Eluke — Member
Kingsley Agwu — Member
Mrs. Joy Odike — Secretary
ENUGU STATE UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (ESUT) GOVERNING COUNCIL
Barr. Victor Chukwuani — Chairman
Engr. James Ifeanyichukwu Ajibo — Member
Dr. Eric Oluedo — Member
Dr. Mrs. Gladys Ngozi Okoro — Member
Chukwu Chikaodiri Joy — Member
INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY (IMT) GOVERNING COUNCIL
Hon. Chinedu Onu — Chairman
Dr. Barth Nwankwo — Member
Barr. Emeka Ede — Member
Mrs. Rita Chimaobi — Member
Prince Tony Nwonye — Member
ENUGU STATE POLYTECHNIC, IWOLLO GOVERNING COUNCIL
Rev. Fr. Prof. Anthony Aniagboso Igwe — Rector
Deaconess Ifeoma Nwobodo — Chairman, Governing Council
Obinna Aleke — Member
Barr. Henry Okeke — Member
Emeka Abba — Member
ENUGU STATE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION (TECHNICAL) (ESCET) GOVERNING COUNCIL
Barr. Nwabueze Ugwu — Chairman
Prince Cletus Ajaegbu — Member
Dr. Chiesonu Isiga Eruchalu — Member
Dr. Chukwuemeka Nwatu — Member
Theophilus Onyebeke — Member
The appointments take effect immediately.
Suspected members of Boko Haram terrorists have attacked the convoy of Mustapha Gubio, the governorship flagbearer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Borno State.
Sources said the incident took place along the Gubio-Karote-Damasak highway in the northern part of the state on Thursday.
Damasak is located in northern Borno and is about 190km from Maiduguri, the state capital.
The convoy was en route to Mobbar, headquarters of Damasak Local Government Area, to pay a thank-you visit to members of the APC for their support which led to his emergence as the consensus candidate in the party’s last primary elections.
Sources said: “The convoy came under heavy attack around Kareto community at about 2:30pm, but was swiftly repelled by a combined team of security escorts, including soldiers, police, NSCDC, DSS, CTJF and vigilante groups.”
According to an insider who escaped but did not want his name mentioned, “The incident happened during a thank-you tour by Mustapha Gubio and his team to the northern part of the state.
“It was a terrifying moment for us; we came under heavy attacks by terrorists yesterday.”
He continued, “The terrorists fired several Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs) on our convoy, which also followed by sporadic shooting. Luckily, our security agencies repelled the attacks.
“Police armoured vehicles were damaged, but there was no casualty,” said the source.
Force Public Relations Officer, Ani Iniedu, confirmed the attack, saying: “Police tactical operatives successfully counter-engaged suspected terrorists who attacked a convoy along the Kareto–Damasak Road with an IED and rocket-propelled grenades.
“The tactical team forced the terrorists to retreat into the surrounding bush and subsequently scanned and cleared the immediate axis to neutralise secondary explosive threats.
“The convoy, conveying a gubernatorial aspirant, government officials and political stakeholders, was safely evacuated to a secure location with no casualties recorded among members of the entourage.”
Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, has blamed the desperation of young Nigerians to sell their kidneys on President Bola Tinubu’s harsh economic policies.
It could be recalled that the police last week raided a hospital in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, after it was reported that at least 10 young men were victims of organ harvesting.
Atiku, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, has now accused President Bola Tinubu of making life more expensive for Nigerians, saying he would make the country affordable again if given the opportunity.
In a post on his X handle on Friday, Atiku expressed concern over reports of young Nigerians allegedly selling their kidneys and other body organs in desperate attempts to survive the country’s worsening economic hardship.
He said young Nigerians should be pursuing their dreams, building careers and developing innovative ideas rather than considering the sale of their body organs as a means of survival.
“I have heard disturbing stories about the extent to which young Nigerians are being driven simply to survive.
“Perhaps the most horrifying are the growing reports of young people selling parts of their bodies: kidneys in particular, in desperate attempts to raise money.
“Young people should be selling dreams, ideas and innovation, not their body organs,” Atiku wrote.
He added that the rising cost of food, transportation, rent, school fees, medicine and electricity had worsened the living conditions of many Nigerians.
According to him, reports that some young Nigerians were being driven to sell their kidneys for as little as N1.7 million reflected the level of desperation caused by the cost-of-living crisis.
Atiku said Nigeria’s laws prohibiting commercial organ sales and organ trafficking were insufficient to address the poverty and desperation that make vulnerable young people targets of criminal networks.
He stressed that economic reforms should improve the living conditions of citizens by making basic necessities more affordable.
“Economic reform must have a human face. It must mean affordable food, cheaper transportation, accessible healthcare, decent jobs and renewed hope for the next generation.
“Our young people should be selling their ideas, talents and innovation to the world and not their kidneys for N1.7 million just to survive at home,” he said.
Atiku described the situation as the human cost of Nigeria’s cost-of-living crisis, accusing the Tinubu administration of worsening the economic burden on Nigerians.
He further stated that “Tinubu made Nigeria expensive. I will make Nigeria affordable again.”
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