NNPP National Secretary raises concerns over alleged intimidation, vote-buying, political interference, local government funds

Fasesin Emmanuel

National Secretary of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Dipo Olayoku, has described Governor Ademola Adeleke’s victory in the Osun State governorship election as a reflection of the will and determination of the electorate, while raising concerns over alleged irregularities and controversies that surrounded the electoral process.

Olayoku spoke on Monday during an appearance on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, where he participated in a post-election review of the August 15 governorship poll.

Adeleke, who contested the election on the platform of the Accord Party after leaving the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was declared the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), securing 511,067 votes.

He defeated the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Oyebamiji, who polled 444,815 votes, while the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Najeem Salaam, finished third with 17,180 votes.

The election was conducted across the 30 local government areas of Osun State following months of intense political campaigns, heightened political activities and allegations and counter-allegations among the major political parties.

Security agencies were also heavily deployed across the state before and during the election as authorities moved to prevent violence and ensure a peaceful exercise.

Assessing the outcome, Olayoku said the relatively quick announcement of the result was one of the positive aspects of the election.

According to him, Adeleke’s victory was announced approximately 15 hours and 30 minutes after voting ended, describing the development as an indication that the electoral process had at least produced a result within a reasonable period.

“All is well that ends well. I think it went well because at least the winner was announced within, let’s just say, about 15 hours and 30 minutes.”

The NNPP chieftain said reports received from members of his party across the state suggested that the result largely reflected the preference of many voters.

He attributed part of Adeleke’s support to what he described as the governor’s relationship with residents during his first term, stressing that the electorate had demonstrated its capacity to make independent political choices.

However, Olayoku cautioned against using the final result alone as proof that the election was completely free of challenges.

“We commend the people of Osun, but that does not mean that the election didn’t have its own loopholes.”

He raised concerns over alleged intimidation, political interference, vote-buying and other controversies that reportedly occurred before and during the election.

Olayoku argued that while an election produces a winner, the credibility of the process must also be assessed based on the conditions under which voters exercised their franchise.

One of the issues he questioned was the decision of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to freeze an account belonging to the Osun State Government shortly before the election.

The EFCC action had generated controversy amid concerns over possible vote-buying. The account was subsequently ordered unfrozen by President Bola Tinubu, who criticised the timing of the action and described the development as embarrassing.

Olayoku questioned the rationale behind the intervention, arguing that efforts to prevent vote-buying should be applied fairly and consistently to all political actors rather than being perceived as targeting one side.

The NNPP national secretary also raised concerns about the handling of funds meant for local governments in Osun State.

He alleged that local government funds had been withheld for an extended period, questioning the impact of such a situation on grassroots administration and development.

“Do you know that in Osun today, the local government funds have been seized by the Federal Government for the past fifteen months?”

Olayoku further questioned the continued stay in office of some local government chairmen despite court decisions relating to their tenure.

According to him, developments surrounding local government administration also formed part of the broader political environment in which the governorship election was conducted.

He equally alleged that members and supporters of the Accord Party faced intimidation in the build-up to the election.

Olayoku referenced an alleged statement attributed to an APC senator during a meeting with supporters, claiming that Accord Party members seen around Ilesha on election day should be killed.
He presented the allegation as one of the factors that, in his view, raised questions about the overall credibility and security of the electoral process.

“A few days to the election, a senator of the APC was addressing his followers, where he told them that any Accord Party member seen around Ilesha on the day of the election should be killed.”

The NNPP official stressed that allegations of intimidation and threats should not be ignored when assessing the credibility of an election.

He therefore rejected the description of the exercise as entirely free, fair and credible, citing the various controversies that accompanied the poll.

“So with all that has happened, nobody will agree that the election was free, fair and credible.”

Despite his reservations, Olayoku maintained that the outcome of the election demonstrated the strength of the Osun electorate and its determination to make its own political choices.

He said the people had shown that their political convictions could not easily be manipulated or overridden.

“The people of Osun have shown that they have their will and their conviction, and nobody can change their will.”

According to him, the outcome should serve as an opportunity for political parties, electoral institutions and security agencies to examine the weaknesses identified during the election and take corrective measures ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Olayoku said Nigeria’s democratic process would continue to gain public confidence only when voters were allowed to exercise their franchise without intimidation, inducement or undue interference.

He urged stakeholders to ensure that future elections were conducted under conditions that guarantee a level playing field for all contestants, protect voters and strengthen public confidence in electoral outcomes.

The NNPP national secretary maintained that although Adeleke’s victory reflected the choice made by the people of Osun, the controversies surrounding the election should not be swept aside.

He called for lessons to be drawn from the exercise, particularly in the areas of electoral security, vote-buying, political intimidation, financial interventions and the independence of institutions involved in the electoral process.

Olayoku said addressing those concerns before 2027 would be critical to deepening democracy and ensuring that election results are accepted not merely because a winner has emerged, but because the process itself commands the confidence of the electorate.