News Update
THE Osun State House of Assembly has raised concerns over the recent transfer of the Dr Mutiu Agboke, Osun State’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), linking the move to the influence of former Governor Gboyega Oyetola.
The Speaker, Rt. Hon. Adewale Egbedun, made the statement during a press conference at the House of Assembly Complex in Osogbo on Thursday.
Egbedun described the transfer as a political maneuver, noting that similar redeployments have not been observed in Ekiti State, whose gubernatorial election precedes Osun’s.
He also warned that further transfers of senior INEC officials could be planned, particularly in the Ife Ijesha Senatorial District, allegedly involving the placement of APC members in key electoral roles.
According to him, “No amount of administrative changes or deployments of interested officials will override the will of the people of Osun State. The people are politically conscious, vigilant, and determined to ensure that their votes count and reflect their true choice.”
The Speaker emphasized that all officials deployed to conduct elections in Osun must act strictly in accordance with the Constitution and electoral law. “The election must be free, fair, and credible. Anything short of this will be firmly resisted by Osun people,” he said, calling on the international community, development partners, and observers to monitor the situation closely.
Egbedun accused former Governor Oyetola and the APC of attempting to influence the electoral process through strategic transfers and placements of loyal officials, stressing that such efforts will not succeed.
The Assembly’s statement comes amid growing tensions over electoral preparations in Osun State ahead of the 2026 elections, highlighting the state’s determination to safeguard democratic processes.
He said, “It has come to our notice that there has been a sudden redeployment of the Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Osun State. We also have credible information that further deployments of interested people are being planned and may extend to other key officials, including the Administrative Secretary, Electoral Officers, Assistant Electoral Officers, and ICT personnel across the State.
“We are particularly concerned by a deliberate pattern of actions aimed at influencing the electoral process in Osun State.
“It is instructive to note that Ekiti State, which precedes Osun in the electoral calendar, has not witnessed such widespread deployments of electoral officials. This raises serious and legitimate questions. Why Osun State?
“We state clearly that we have credible information linking these developments to the actions and influence of Mr Gboyega Oyetola.
“Let it be clearly stated that no amount of administrative changes or deployments of interested officials will override the will of the people of Osun State.
“These calculated efforts, no matter how structured, cannot alter the resolve of our people. The people of Osun State are politically conscious, vigilant, and determined to ensure that their votes count and reflect their true choice.
“We have also received credible reports that in parts of the State, particularly within the Ife Ijesa Senatorial District, there are plans to compromise the process through the use of APC members in critical electoral roles such as returning officers and supervisors. This is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. We are placing the public on notice.
“Let it be made absolutely clear that whoever is deployed to conduct elections in Osun State must do so in strict accordance with the Constitution and the electoral law. The election must be free, fair, and credible. Anything short of this will be firmly resisted by Osun people.
“We also call the attention of the international community, development partners, and all observers of democratic governance to these developments in Osun State as they unfold.
“We speak as representatives of the people of Osun State. All we ask for, and all we insist on, is a free, fair, and credible election.
“Let it be known that Osun State is politically aware, vigilant, and deeply committed to democratic values. The people of this State will not accept any action, from any quarter, that undermines the credibility of the electoral process.”