From Ayinde Akintade, Osogbo

The Osun Grassroots Movement (OGM) yesterday raised alarm over ongoing secret posting of operatives of the All Progressive Congress(APC) to critical departments of the electoral commission ahead of the August 15 elections.

In a statement issued in Osogbo by the Convener, Osun Grassroot Movement, Adetunji David, the group alleged that key operational departments of the INEC are being populated with APC agents while general mass transfer is ongoing to subvert the will of Osun voters.

Warning INEC leadership of tough resistance against any ploy to rig Osun polls, the group declared that Osun towns and villages will be a graveyard for any electoral official who tamper with Osun votes on August 15.

“We call on INEC leadership to beware of ongoing shenanigans and stop any rigging plot because death awaits any electoral bandits who attempt to rig Osun elections. No election riggers will leave Osun alive”, the group warned in the statement.

‎”We issue the above warning because it has come to our notice, through credible findings, that there are ongoing clandestine efforts by elements within the APC to orchestrate the transfer of key officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Osun State, including the Resident Electoral Commissioner.

“There are also indications of targeted intimidation and administrative pressure on principled electoral officers who have refused to compromise professional standards. Such individuals are allegedly being earmarked for redeployment out of the state to create an enabling environment for electoral manipulation.

‎”Furthermore, recent developments within the Commission, including changes in strategic departments such as the ICT directorate, raise serious questions about the timing, intent, and potential implications for electoral transparency. Reports of inducements and promises of preferential treatment to certain officials further compound these concerns.

“These actions, if left unchecked, constitute a grave threat to democratic consolidation, electoral credibility, and public trust in governance. The manipulation of institutional structures for partisan advantage undermines the rule of law and erodes the foundational principles of free, fair, and credible elections”.

‎In light of the above, the Osun Grassroots Movement calls on all relevant authorities, including electoral oversight bodies, civil society organizations, and the international community, to remain vigilant and proactive in safeguarding the sanctity of the electoral process.

“We urge that all institutions entrusted with electoral responsibilities uphold the highest standards of neutrality, transparency, and accountability.

‎”We will resist any attempt to disenfranchise Osun people through underhand political maneuvers. We will not wait for the electoral crimes to be committed on August 15. We will stop them before electoral bandits kidnapped our democracy”, the group warmed.

From Ayinde Akintade, Osogbo

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Hon. Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, has warned the David Mark-led leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to leave President Bola Tinubu out of its woes.

Oyintiloye, who noted accusing fingers pointed at Tinubu over the matter as ‘disturbing and inaccurate,’ said the delisted ADC leadership must be courageous enough to tell Nigerians the truth, rather than tag Tinubu as being responsible for the crisis within the party.

The APC chieftain made this statement while speaking with journalists in Osogbo.

He noted that Tinubu is the President, not a court of law that directed the ADC to revert to its pre-merger executives, pending the determination of a case at the Federal High Court, instituted by one of its members.

“I will advise the ADC to put its house in order and stop blaming Tinubu for its crisis.

“The President is a true democrat and does not need to destabilise any party to secure re-election in 2027.

“Tinubu is not a member of the Court of Appeal that delivered the judgment, nor does he have the time to poke his nose into unnecessary political matters.

“If the ADC is looking for anyone to blame, targeting Tinubu is a miscalculated move,” he said.

Oyintiloye further stated that the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to recognise any faction of the ADC until all litigations are resolved was neither its doing nor Tinubu’s fault, but a result of a court ruling.

“My candid advice to the ADC is to look inward and resolve its internal crisis rather than engaging in a blame game,” he added.

He counseled politicians to play by the rules and ensure that they don’t engage in acts that may later become their albatross, saying improved consciousness among politicians of today will make them challenge every illegality before court.

According to him, resorting to blackmail will not save ADC, and advised the party to return to the drawing board and strategize, if it wants Nigerians to recognize it as a force within the nation’s political space.

Addressing allegations that Nigeria is drifting toward a one-party system, Oyintiloye maintained that there are 21 recognised political parties registered by INEC.

“We have 21 registered political parties in the country, and the majority—if not all—will participate in the 2027 elections.

“With these 21 political parties, including the ADC, how can the country be described as a one-party state?

“Opposition leaders should stop spreading false and unsubstantiated information about the 2027 general elections and focus on resolving their internal crises,” he said.

Oyintiloye added that no amount of campaign calumny would prevent the President from securing a landslide victory in the 2027 elections.

From Ayinde Akintade, Osogbo

As the governorship election draws nearer, the All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday announced members of the campaign committee across the three Senatorial Districts in the state.

The party unveiled a five-term member of the House of Representatives representing Ijesa-North Federal Constituency, Hon.

Oluwole Oke as State Director General Osun 2026 Governorship Campaign Committee.

The APC also announced former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Prince Adebayo Adeleke (Director General Campaign Committee for Osun Central Senatorial District), former governorship aspirant, Prince Dotun Babayemi (Director General Campaign Committee for Osun West Senatorial District) and APC stalwart, Hon.

Thomas Ogungbangbe (Director General Campaign Committee for Osun East Senatorial District) respectively.

For the nine Federal Constituencies in the state, the following names were announced: For Osogbo Federal Constituency, former Deputy Speaker, Hon. Akintunde Adegboye (Chairman Campaign Committee), Hon. Abayomi Oyedeji (Co-Chairman) and former three-term state lawmaker, Hon. Kamil Oyedele (Secretary). For Ifelodun Federal Constituency: former Osun State House of Assembly Speaker, Hon. Wale Afolabi (Chairman), Alhaji Sule Aderemi (Co-Chairman), Hon. Moshood Adekunle Oluawo (Director of Mobilization) and Hon. Adeniran Ibitoye (Secretary). For Ila Federal Constituency: former Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dr. Adebisi Obawale (Chairman), Hon. Richard Tinubu (Co-Chairman) and Dr. Bode Olaonipekun (Secretary).

For Ede Federal Constituency: Chairman Governing Council, Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ambassador Adejare Bello (Chairman), former member House of Reps, Hon. Bade Falade (Co-Chairman) and Hon. John Ojo (Secretary). For Irewole Federal Constituency: Hon. Olasunkanmi Akinola  Omotuntun (Chairman), Hon. Ismaila Jayeoba Alagbada (Co-Chairman). For Ife Federal Constituency: Hon. Wale Ojo (Chairman), Barrister Ipoola Binuyo (Co-Chairman) and Sooko Kemade (Secretary).

For Ijesa-South Federal Constituency: APC State Treasurer, Hon. Femi Kujembola (Chairman), Hon. Wale Adedoyin (Co-Chairman) and Dr. Tunde Faleye (Secretary). For Ijesa-North Federal Constituency: former member, House of Reps, Hon. Nathaniel Agunbiade (Chairman), former Special Adviser, Public Health, Prof. Siji’ Olamiju (Co-Chairman) and Hon. Felix Aboge (Secretary). And for Iwo Federal Constituency: APC State Secretary, Hon. Kamorudeen Alao (Chairman), Hon. Mukaila Oladejo (Co-Chairman) and Hon. Ajibola Akinloye (Secretary) respectively.

Speaking, the newly appointed Director General, Osun State APC gubernatorial  Campaign Committee, Hon. Oluwole Oke expressed profound gratitude to the leadership and members of the party for counting him worthy.

He said: “After thanking God, I want to sincerely thank our leaders for considering me worthy and I feel highly honoured. With my appointment as the Director General of the gubernatorial campaign of our party for the forthcoming 2026 governorship election, I want to say that from this moment, we have issued Governor Ademola Adeleke a quit-notice. It is an honour done to all members of our great party in Osun State and I want to assure you that what I am seeing before us is victory. You can take this home, what I am seeing before us is victory and from this moment on, Governor Ademola Adeleke should start packing his loads from Government House.

“Let me say this, when all of us were in the PDP, we narrowly won with 28,000 votes in the 2022 governorship election. With all the conspiracies that I was party to. Now, you can imagine that all of us that were party to that success have now moved to the APC. It is very clear, there is nothing anyone can do. You cannot manufacture any magic. We are specialists at removing a sitting Governor. Take this to the bank: we are specialists, we have done this severally, we are good at removing a sitting Governor and I can tell you from this moment on: His Excellency, my own brother, Governor Ademola Adeleke should start packing his luggage out of the Government House”, he affirmed.

In his remarks, the APC governorship candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, popularly called AMBO, gave glory to Almighty God for the successful constitution of the campaign committees just as he charged every member of the party to begin massive mobilization and grassroots campaigns for the success and victory of the party come August 15th, 2026 gubernatorial poll.

“Let me first give glory to the Almighty God for giving us the privilege today as we have constituted our campaign structure, and we have equally committed everything unto the Almighty God to direct us well. I strongly believe that this journey has been committed unto Him and we are going to land very well. Yes, the structure is on the ground now. I want to appeal to all our party members to key into the structure so that by 15th of August, 2026 we will deliver a governorship candidate of Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji as a Governor of Osun State”, Oyebamiji stated.

Fielding questions from journalists, the newly appointed Director General, Osun Central, Prince Adebayo Adeleke expressed confidence in the ability and readiness of the party to win the next governorship election in the state.

“At the Senatorial level, we have three Directors General for Osun Central, East and West. To the glory of God, myself, is the Director General, Osun Central Senatorial District. I am elated and happy to take the job. I want to assure the people of Osun that our campaign will be ‘crime-free, crisis-free’ but at the same time warning the opposition parties that they should be careful of the crisis. The PDP/Accord for example is known and noted for crises when it comes to campaigns. We know them but by the grace of God the security operatives in the state will not give room for criminality. We thank God for that. We have nine Chairmen of the federal consistencies and we are to work with the federal constituencies in each of the Senatorial Districts. For me in Osun Central, we have three constituencies and when you see members of the committees in the three federal Constituencies, you will see people of timber and caliber. These are people that know politics, and I am assuring people of Osun for sure, Bola Oyebamiji is the next Osun Governor by 15th of August, 2026. By the grace of God,” he added.