Osun 2026: Govt, APC Clash Over Police Raid on SSG's Residence

 

By Abdulahi Musa 

Fresh controversy has erupted ahead of the August 15 Osun governorship election after the Osun State Government and the All Progressives Congress (APC) offered sharply conflicting accounts of a police operation at the residence of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Teslim Igbalaye.

While the state government described the operation as a politically motivated assault on its officials, the APC insisted the raid validated its long-standing allegations of political violence and electoral manipulation against Governor Ademola Adeleke's administration.

In a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, the Osun Government accused the state police command of carrying out what it called a "systematic invasion" of the homes of senior government officials without lawful search warrants.

According to the government, a combined team of police officers led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations stormed the residence of the SSG, allegedly taking members of his household to an undisclosed location.

The government further claimed that the operation came after similar raids on the homes of about six commissioners and other senior officials. It alleged that the residence of the Commissioner for Energy in Ikire was searched, with properties reportedly damaged during the operation, while several other commissioners claimed their homes had either been placed under surveillance or searched.

The government also alleged that several members of the Accord Party had been arrested and were being detained at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the Osun State Police Command without being granted bail.

Describing the police actions as an "aggravated assault on democracy," the government accused the Osun State Police Command of acting in the interest of the APC rather than remaining politically neutral.

The statement warned that the police had become "a major threat to the conduct of a free and fair election" and appealed to the Inspector-General of Police, the Police Service Commission, the National Security Adviser, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and other stakeholders to intervene before the situation deteriorates into a breakdown of law and order.

The government noted that the raid on the SSG's residence occurred while the SSG was attending an election stakeholders' forum organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), with ward officials reportedly holding a meeting at his residence when security operatives arrived.

However, the Osun APC Governorship Campaign Council dismissed the government's allegations and argued that the police operation reinforced concerns it had repeatedly raised about alleged political violence in the state.

In a statement signed by its Head of Media and Publicity, Engr. Oluremi Omowaiye, the APC claimed that eyewitnesses reported that security operatives recovered a cache of ammunition and other dangerous weapons during the raid.

The party also alleged that some residents were being intimidated into surrendering their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) after allegedly being compelled to take oaths.

The APC said the reported discoveries justified its earlier warnings that individuals linked to the ruling party were allegedly planning to influence the forthcoming governorship election through intimidation and unlawful means.

The opposition party commended the Nigeria Police Force for what it described as a professional operation and urged security agencies to intensify investigations wherever credible intelligence suggests the stockpiling of weapons or the harbouring of criminal elements.

It maintained that no individual should be above the law and called for the protection of voters' rights ahead of the election.

The conflicting narratives have further heightened political tension in Osun State as preparations intensify for the governorship poll, with both major political camps accusing each other of actions capable of undermining the credibility and peaceful conduct of the election.

As of the time of filing this report, the Osun State Police Command had not publicly issued a detailed account of the operation or responded to the competing allegations made by the state government and the APC.