Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has declared that the people of the state will not bow to intimidation or external interference ahead of the August 15 governorship election, following the arrest of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Teslim Igbalaye, over alleged vote buying.
Adeleke made the statement in a post on Thursday as reactions continued to trail the detention of Igbalaye by operatives of the Osun State Police Command.
The SSG was reportedly arrested on Wednesday night alongside five other suspects after police raided his private residence in Osogbo.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer in Osun, Abiodun Ojelabi, security operatives recovered ₦4.8 million, a Dynabook laptop, a photocopy machine, a printer, two voter cards, and a voter register covering Wards 1 to 15 from a residence linked to the SSG.
The police said the recovery of the cash and voter register has raised concerns over alleged electoral offences, adding that investigations are ongoing.
Although Adeleke did not directly comment on the arrest of his SSG, he insisted that no amount of intimidation would influence the outcome of the upcoming governorship election.
“Throughout the history of Osun State, our people have never bowed to intimidation. We are resilient, determined, and fiercely protective of our rights,” the governor said.
He expressed confidence that the will of the people would prevail at the polls.
“As we approach the August 15 governorship election, I have absolute confidence that no amount of external interference or intimidation can override the collective will of the people of Osun State,” Adeleke stated.
The governor also claimed that his administration’s achievements in infrastructure, education, healthcare, workers’ welfare and pension reforms have earned the support of the people.
“By the grace of God and with the continued support of the good people of Osun, our second term will build on these achievements and deliver even greater progress for every community,” he added.
Adeleke urged his supporters to remain peaceful, stay united, vote for his party and protect their votes during the election.
Background
The development comes amid heightened political tension ahead of the August 15 governorship election in Osun State.
Earlier, the Osun State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, accused police operatives of carrying out what he described as the “systematic invasion” of the residences of the SSG and six commissioners.
Alimi condemned the operations, describing them as “gestapo tactics” and alleging that they posed a threat to democracy in the state.
The allegations come as political rivalry intensifies between supporters of Governor Ademola Adeleke and the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the governorship election.
Source: Statements by the Osun State Government and the Nigeria Police.
