Election Day in Osun State was thrown into fresh controversy on Saturday as a top aide to Governor Ademola Adeleke alleged that military and police personnel had arrested associates of the governor, surrounded the residence of the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly and disrupted the distribution of election materials at a Registration Area Centre in Ife East Local Government Area.
The allegations, which surfaced as voters began arriving at polling units across the state, immediately raised fresh concerns about the security situation surrounding the governorship election and the credibility of the electoral process.
Olalekan Badmus, Special Assistant on Digital Media to Governor Adeleke, made the allegations in a series of posts on his X handle, accompanied by video clips purportedly showing security operatives around some of the locations mentioned.
Badmus alleged that military personnel arrested Banks Omisore and two other individuals in Ile-Ife on Friday night, claiming that their whereabouts remained unknown as voting commenced on Saturday.
“Military men believed to be working for the APC arrested @MrBanksOmisore and two others at Ife yesterday night. Current location is unknown!” he alleged.
The governor’s aide further alleged that Bamkole Omisore, identified as the Special Adviser on Sustainable Development Goals, had also been arrested and remained in military custody at the Ede military cantonment.
“Bamkole Omisore, SA SDG, arrested illegally last night and still detained at military cantonment, Ede,” Badmus claimed.
The allegations did not stop there.
Badmus also claimed that the residence of the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, had been surrounded by police personnel, describing the reported development as an alarming situation on an election day.
“@AOEgbedun house under siege by men of the @PoliceNG. @PremiumTimesng is this an election or coup?” he wrote.
The statement quickly added to the tension surrounding the election, particularly as political parties and their supporters closely monitored the movement and activities of security personnel across the state.
In another post, Badmus accused some police officers of allegedly invading a Registration Area Centre in Ife East Local Government Area and disrupting the distribution of election materials.
He alleged that the incident occurred at Ward 10, Modakeke Ward 3, where tear gas was reportedly fired and election materials allegedly carted away.
“@PoliceNG, there is an allegation that some of your men in this video just invaded a RAC centre in Ife East Local Government Ward 10 (Modakeke Ward 3) and fired tear gas to disrupt distribution of election materials at a RAC centre. The materials have been allegedly carted away,” he wrote.
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admus called on the Nigeria Police Force to investigate the allegation and act immediately to protect the integrity of the electoral process.
The claims came at a particularly sensitive moment, with voters already turning out across Osun State to participate in the governorship election.
Governor Adeleke is seeking another term in office, while the election has attracted intense political attention and heightened security arrangements across the state.
The video clips circulated by Badmus reportedly showed security operatives around a residential building said to be the residence of the Speaker. However, the authenticity of the footage, the identities of the personnel shown and the circumstances surrounding the reported incidents could not be independently verified.
The allegations also remained unconfirmed by the security agencies as of the time of filing this report.
Neither the Nigeria Police Force nor military authorities had publicly issued an official statement confirming or denying the alleged arrests, the reported siege on the Speaker’s residence or the alleged disruption at the RAC centre.
Efforts to obtain comments from the Osun State Police Command, military authorities and the All Progressives Congress regarding the allegations were unsuccessful.
The Independent National Electoral Commission had earlier assured residents and stakeholders that adequate preparations had been made for the smooth conduct of the election.
Security agencies had also pledged to maintain law and order throughout the exercise and ensure that voters could exercise their constitutional rights without intimidation.
However, the fresh allegations have placed the activities of security personnel under renewed scrutiny, particularly claims involving political actors and election materials.
The situation has also raised questions about whether the reported security operations were legitimate measures aimed at maintaining law and order or whether they could potentially interfere with the electoral process.
As voting continues across Osun State, political parties, observers and voters are watching developments closely, with particular attention on the conduct of security personnel and the movement of election materials.
The allegations have yet to be independently established, and the affected security agencies have not publicly responded to the claims.
What remains clear, however, is that the reported arrests, alleged police presence at the Speaker’s residence and claims of disruption at an election materials centre have injected fresh tension into an already fiercely contested governorship election.
All eyes are now on INEC, the security agencies and political stakeholders to ensure that the Osun governorship election is conducted transparently, peacefully and without intimidation, while any genuine security violations or electoral offences are promptly investigated.
As Osun voters cast their ballots, the biggest question now confronting the state is whether the security presence will remain a shield for democracy—or become a source of fear and controversy.