Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has raised the alarm over an alleged plan to withdraw security personnel from polling units and collation centres across the state, warning that such a move could expose voters, election officials and other personnel to attacks.
Adeleke raised the allegation in a post on his X handle on Saturday, urging the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS) to immediately intervene and prevent any security vacuum during the ongoing governorship election.
“I have just been reliably informed that some unscrupulous persons have given a directive to withdraw security agents from polling units and collation centres across Osun State,” Adeleke stated.
According to the governor, the alleged withdrawal could leave voters and election officials vulnerable to attacks by what he described as “rampaging APC thugs.”
He urged the security chiefs to resist any attempt by political actors to compromise the electoral process, while also appealing to President Bola Tinubu to intervene.
“The IGP, DG DSS should not allow desperate politicians truncate Osun election. Mr. President @officialABAT should intervene now!” he said.
The allegation comes amid heightened political tension in Osun State as voters cast their ballots to elect the next governor.
The election is being closely watched following months of intense political campaigning, legal disputes and political controversies, as well as concerns over the conduct of the poll.
Security agencies have deployed personnel across the state as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) conducts voting and prepares for the collation of results.
If established, the alleged directive to withdraw security personnel could raise serious concerns about the safety of voters and election officials and the credibility of the electoral process.
Adeleke’s statement also comes against the backdrop of repeated calls by stakeholders for political actors and their supporters to refrain from violence, intimidation and other actions capable of undermining the election.
However, there was no independent confirmation of the alleged directive at the time of filing this report. The security agencies had also not publicly responded to the governor’s allegation.
With results expected from polling units and subsequently at collation centres, attention is now focused on the security arrangements that will remain in place throughout the final stages of the electoral process.