…Osun Govt cries foul as Police recover PVCs, voter register, ₦4.8m cash
By Yinka Giwa
The Osun State Police Command has arrested the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Teslim Igbalaye, and five other persons over alleged vote-buying and electoral offences ahead of the August 15 governorship election, following a raid on the SSG’s residence in Osogbo.
The police said the operation, carried out on Wednesday at Igbalaye’s residence in the Oroki Estate area of the state capital, led to the recovery of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), voter registers, ₦4.8 million in cash, a Dynabook laptop, photocopying machines, a printer and other materials suspected to be linked to vote merchandising.
In a statement, the command disclosed that officers also recovered voter registers covering Wards One to Fifteen in Osogbo Local Government Area, describing the discovery as a major concern in view of the forthcoming governorship election.
The police further revealed that one of those arrested at the residence, Abiodun Arowomole, popularly known as “Ashipa,” is a wanted murder suspect already on the Command’s watch list.
Others arrested during the operation were identified as Taiwo Akande, Lukman Adeyemo, Muftau Olaoye and Musiliu Aderemi.
According to the police, investigations are ongoing into allegations bordering on vote buying, criminal conspiracy and harbouring of a wanted suspect.
The Command said the allegations have serious implications for the administration of justice and the integrity of the electoral process, stressing that no individual would be spared if found culpable.
It reiterated its commitment to enforcing the law without fear or favour and urged residents to remain peaceful and cooperate with security agencies by providing credible information capable of preventing crime and ensuring a free, fair, and credible governorship election.
Sources, however, disclosed that Igbalaye was not at home when the raid took place but later presented himself at the Police Command after learning of the operation.
The development immediately sparked outrage from the Osun State Government, which condemned the police action as illegal and politically motivated.
In a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, the government maintained that ward officials were merely holding a meeting inside the SSG’s residence when police officers stormed the premises.
It added that Igbalaye was attending a stakeholders’ forum organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the time of the raid.
The government also alleged that security operatives had, a day earlier, raided the residence of the Commissioner for Energy in Ikire, ransacking the building and destroying property.
It called on President Bola Tinubu, the Inspector-General of Police, the National Security Adviser, the Nigeria Police Force, and traditional rulers to intervene, alleging what it described as a sustained campaign of intimidation and harassment against senior government officials and members of the Accord Party in the state.
Reacting to the development, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Campaign Council said the police operation had validated its repeated warnings that the ruling party was plotting to manipulate the forthcoming governorship election through vote buying and other illegal means.
In a statement by its spokesperson, Remi Omowaye, the APC alleged that Governor Ademola Adeleke’s administration had lost public confidence and had resorted to intimidation, violence, and electoral malpractice in desperation to retain power.
The opposition party commended the Nigeria Police Force for the operation and urged security agencies to sustain investigations into any credible intelligence relating to the stockpiling of weapons, harbouring of criminal suspects, or other activities capable of undermining the integrity of the August 15 governorship poll.
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