The Osun State government has accused the All Progressives Congress, APC, of plotting to deploy “federal might” to influence the outcome of the August 15 governorship poll.
The Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, made the allegations during an interview on Arise Television.
According to him, the APC and federal security agencies of working together to intimidate political opponents and tilt the electoral contest in favour of the opposition.
Governor Ademola Adeleke is seeking re-election under the Accord Party, while the APC has fielded Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji (AMBO) in what has become one of Nigeria’s fiercest off-cycle governorship contests.
Reacting to comments made by an APC representative during the television programme, Alimi said he was shocked by what he described as “false propaganda” against the Adeleke administration.
“When I watched that clip, I was surprised that somebody could come on national television and make such huge propaganda. It shows these people are not ready to repent,” Alimi said.
He faulted the APC’s claim that Governor Adeleke had failed in office, insisting that the administration’s achievements in infrastructure, workers’ welfare, healthcare, education, and social development had earned widespread public support across the state.
Alimi alleged that the APC was relying on federal institutions rather than the electorate to secure victory in the August 15 governorship election.
According to him, the ruling party at the centre had continued to boast about using “federal might” to overpower Osun.
“They are ready at every opportunity to brag with their federal might and they are still saying it up to this moment that they will use federal might to overpower the state,” he alleged.
He further claimed that the Nigerian Police Force was no longer acting impartially in the build-up to the election.
“As of today, everybody knows that it is the federal government that is controlling the police,” he said.
Osun State Commissioner of Police Kolapo Alimi
The commissioner dismissed allegations that members of the Accord Party were responsible for political violence, arguing instead that several supporters of Governor Adeleke had been killed while those allegedly responsible remained free.
He cited the killing of Taiwo Yebamiji in Iragbiji, claiming that a court had already issued a warrant for the arrest of a suspect who had yet to be apprehended.
Alimi also referred to the killing of another party supporter, identified as Robiu, alleging that the deceased’s widow had publicly narrated the incident and identified those allegedly involved.
He further claimed the killing of the son of the Accord women’s leader in Ikire and the death of a 14-year-old boy in Ilobu, alleging that the attackers operated in an APC-branded vehicle.
Alimi also accused the police of frustrating the Accord Party’s preparations for its grand finale campaign ahead of the August 15 poll.
According to him, the party had officially notified the police of its campaign timetable, including plans to hold its final rally at Freedom Park in Osogbo on August 13.
He said the police advised the party to move the rally to August 12 after informing them that the APC had already selected August 13.
However, Alimi alleged that after the Accord Party accepted the new date, police later invited representatives of both parties following fresh claims by the APC that it had secured exclusive use of Freedom Park from August 1 to August 13 through the Nigerian Railway Corporation.
He argued that although the land originally belonged to the railway, the facility had been substantially redeveloped by the Osun State Government and therefore should not be exclusively allocated to one political party.
The commissioner described the development as another example of alleged attempts to frustrate the ruling party’s campaign activities before election day.
The accusations come as campaigns enter their final phase before the August 15 governorship election, with both the Accord Party and the APC intensifying efforts to win over voters.
The election has already witnessed sharp exchanges over alleged political violence, the freezing of Osun State Government accounts by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), accusations of planned arrests of opposition figures, and disputes over campaign venues.
Despite the escalating political rhetoric, the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has repeatedly assured residents that security agencies will remain neutral and provide adequate protection for voters, election officials, and political stakeholders throughout the election.
Civil society organisations have also urged all parties to refrain from inflammatory rhetoric and allow the electorate to determine the outcome of what is widely regarded as a critical electoral test ahead of the 2027 general elections.
