OSOGBO, OSUN STATE — SEPTEMBER 17, 2026 — Controversial allegations have emerged from opposition quarters alleging that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) attempted to manipulate the August 15 Osun State governorship election before technical safeguards exposed the plot.
The claims, spearheaded by public commentator Shehu Gazali Sadiq, allege that electoral officials attempted to pad votes in favor of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) but were forced to backtrack after tech experts uncovered discrepancies during real-time data transmission.
Calls for Electoral Reform and Leadership Resignation
Citing the alleged technical breach, opposition figures have renewed calls demanding the immediate resignation of INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan (SAN).
Sadiq maintained that the incident demonstrates systemic vulnerabilities within the electoral umpire, warning that without major structural changes and sustained public protests, the commission cannot be trusted to deliver transparent general elections in 2027.
INEC Reaffirms Integrity of Osun Poll Results
INEC officials and election observers have rejected the accusations, pointing to the official declaration of incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner after polling 511,067 votes against APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji’s 444,815 votes.
The commission maintained that the smooth operation of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and prompt result uploads via the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal successfully safeguarded the integrity of the ballot, demonstrating the agency’s commitment to institutional neutrality under Amupitan’s leadership.
