From Ayinde Akintade, Osogbo

With the August 15 Osun State governorship election only one day away, political tensions have intensified following a fresh dispute over the leadership of the Accord Party, controversial remarks attributed to an All Progressives  Congress (APC )Senator and renewed calls by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for all political actors to uphold peace.

The Imole Campaign Council of Governor Ademola Adeleke on Thursday rejected the endorsement of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, by Christopher Imumolen, describing him as a factional leader of the Accord Party.

Imumolen had appeared at the APC mega rally in Osogbo, where he claimed to be Accord’s national chairman and announced that the party had withdrawn its support for Adeleke and directed its members in Osun to vote for Oyebamiji.

But Adeleke’s campaign council dismissed the declaration, insisting that the Accord national chairman recognised by INEC is Maxwell Obinali Mgbudem, who, it said, remains committed to Adeleke’s re-election.

The council, through its spokesperson, Pelumi Olajengbesi, accused the APC of attempting to create a misleading impression ahead of Saturday’s poll by presenting Imumolen as the party’s national chairman.

INEC’s current political-party directory lists Mgbudem as Accord’s national chairman, underscoring the continuing leadership dispute within the party. The disagreement has assumed added significance because Adeleke is contesting the election on the Accord platform after the party nominated him as its governorship candidate.

The political uncertainty has unfolded against the backdrop of growing concerns over the conduct and security of the election.

INEC on Thursday appealed to all candidates and political parties to honour the peace accord signed ahead of the election and refrain from actions capable of provoking violence.

Speaking on ADBN TV, the commission’s Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to its chairman, Adedayo Oketola, said the accord facilitated by the National Peace Committee in collaboration with INEC represented a public commitment by political actors to maintain peace and abide by the law.

Fourteen political parties participating in the election signed the accord on July 30 at an event presided over by the NPC convener, Bishop Matthew Kukah.

Oketola acknowledged that tensions had risen in the state but expressed confidence that the election would be conducted in a secure environment. He said the police had announced the deployment of 15,000 personnel to Osun.

He also disclosed that INEC had completed the deployment of non-sensitive materials to the state’s local government areas, while sensitive materials were expected to be moved from Central Bank of Nigeria vaults to the local government offices on Friday and subsequently to Registration Area Centres.

According to him, officials are expected to be at the state’s 3,700 polling units before voting begins on Saturday morning.

Oketola said INEC had also tested its technology through a mock accreditation exercise and upgraded its Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), while increasing its backup devices from about 600 to more than 1,300.

The commission, he added, would operate situation rooms in Osogbo and Abuja to monitor developments during the election.

Meanwhile, Amnesty International Nigeria has demanded accountability over comments attributed to Senator Francis Fadahunsi, an APC lawmaker representing Osun East, which the organisation described as inciting.

Amnesty’s Country Director, Isa Sanusi, said on Channels Television that the organisation would pursue the matter as an example of the need to hold political figures accountable for statements capable of encouraging violence.

Fadahunsi had been summoned by the Osun State Police Command on Tuesday and questioned for about two hours on Wednesday following the circulation of a video containing the remarks.

Amnesty had earlier condemned the comments and called on the authorities to act, arguing that advocacy of hatred and incitement to violence should not be tolerated under Nigerian law or international human rights standards.

The developments have placed renewed focus on the ability of political parties, candidates, security agencies and voters to maintain restraint as Osun heads to the polls.

With more than 2.3 million registered voters expected to participate, INEC has urged voters to reject misinformation, remain calm in the event of irregularities and report complaints through lawful channels rather than resorting to confrontation.

As the final hours of campaigning give way to voting, the contest between incumbent Adeleke and APC candidate Oyebamiji is being fought not only at the ballot box but also amid a bitter dispute over political allegiance, accusations of incitement and heightened concern over the credibility and security of the election.

By David Torough, Abuja

The Presidential Working Group on the National Policing Bill has extended the deadline for the submission of memoranda and position papers on the proposed legislation to Friday, August 21, 2026.

The new deadline, which expires at 5 p.

m. West Africa Time (WAT), was announced on Thursday by the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu and Chairman of the Working Group, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.

Gbajabiamila said the extension was granted to allow stakeholders more time to prepare detailed submissions and ensure that individuals, institutions and organisations make well-considered contributions to the proposed policing reforms.

According to him, the Working Group is committed to broad consultation and intends to incorporate informed views from Nigerians and relevant stakeholders into the development of the National Policing Bill.

The proposed legislation is expected to establish the operational, administrative, institutional and funding framework for an effective policing architecture capable of responding to Nigeria’s evolving security challenges.

It is also expected to strengthen safeguards for accountability, professionalism and the protection of citizens’ rights.

“Given the significance of the proposed reform to the future of policing and internal security in Nigeria, the Working Group considers it important that stakeholders are afforded more opportunity to make substantive and technically sound contributions to the process,” Gbajabiamila said in the statement.

The panel urged legal practitioners, civil society organisations, security-sector professionals, state governments, professional bodies, academics, experts and members of the public who have an interest in policing reform to use the additional time to submit their views.

All submissions must be made exclusively through the official National Policing Bill portal, nationalpolicingbill.com, on or before 5 p.m. on August 21.

The Working Group said key issues requiring careful consideration include sustainable funding, command and control structures, recruitment and training standards, operational jurisdiction, inter-agency coordination, accountability mechanisms and safeguards against political interference or abuse.

It stressed that extensive stakeholder engagement was essential to producing a policing framework that would be effective, accountable, sustainable and responsive to the security needs of communities nationwide.

At the end of its assignment, the Working Group said it would submit a final, implementation-ready draft of the National Policing Bill for onward legislative processing.

The panel thanked stakeholders who had already submitted memoranda and encouraged others yet to participate to take advantage of the extended deadline.

By David Torough, Abuja

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) have recorded a 213 per cent increase in the number of terrorist fighters and associates surrendering in the North-East Theatre of Operations over the past week, the military has said.

The development, according to the Theatre Command, followed sustained ground operations, engagements against identified terrorist positions and disruption of logistics and supply routes aimed at weakening terrorist capabilities and restricting their freedom of movement.

The military said two high-profile terrorist members surrendered to troops on Wednesday, bringing arms, ammunition and other military items with them.

It said the recovery of the weapons further indicated the impact of sustained military pressure on the cohesion, morale and operational capacity of terrorist groups.

The Theatre Command also disclosed that other terrorists surrendered to troops of 202 Battalion in Bama on August 7 at New Abaram, following continued military operations and internal disagreements within the terrorist enclave.

The surrendering individuals were screened, while mobile phones and other items were recovered before they were handed over for further action in line with established procedures.

According to the military, the rising number of surrenders reflects not only individual decisions to abandon terrorism but also the cumulative effect of sustained attacks and the disruption of terrorist logistics and supply networks.

The Theatre Command said its multi-dimensional strategy of offensive ground operations, precision engagements and disruption of supply routes was increasingly limiting terrorists’ ability to manoeuvre, regroup and replenish their resources.

Operation Hadin Kai said it would continue applying military pressure on terrorist elements while maintaining channels for fighters and associates willing to surrender.

The command urged members of the public to support security operations by providing timely and credible information to security agencies. It also encouraged terrorists and their associates to abandon violence and make use of established surrender channels.

The statement was signed by Captain Mohammed Goni, Acting Military Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force (North East), Operation Hadin Kai, Maiduguri, on August 12, 2026.