The African Democratic Congress has raised concerns over the heavy deployment of military personnel and other armed operatives in Osun State ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.
ADC National Publicity Secretary Bolaji Abdullahi described the security presence as frightening, claiming that the state appeared to be preparing for war rather than an election.
“When you go to Osun State, you will think that that part of the country is at war, because I saw mobilisation of military men, armed men, and you would wonder what is going on here,” Abdullahi said.
He maintained that security personnel should protect voters and guarantee a credible election rather than create fear within the political environment.
“I’m not saying that it forecloses anything, but I’m saying that the manner of mobilisation, the kind of vehemence you see from the Federal Government on what is about to unfold in Osun, is really scary,” he added.
Despite his concerns, Abdullahi expressed confidence that the ADC and its governorship candidate, Najeem Salaam, would win if the election was conducted freely and fairly.
He said his confidence increased after visiting Osogbo and witnessing what he described as strong grassroots support for the party.
“Before we went to Osogbo, I had my concerns whether we are truly in a position to challenge for power in Osun State in this weekend’s election.
“But with what I saw on the ground in Osogbo, I am confident—I remain confident, and my confidence got boosted—that if this is going to be a free and fair election, ADC will win this election,” he said.
Abdullahi also claimed he had received intelligence that former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola could be arrested before the election.
“I received intelligence that they are planning to arrest Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola before Saturday’s election. Who does that? We see the country is not at war. It’s just an election, one state election,” he alleged.
He argued that such a move would suggest an attempt to demonstrate President Bola Tinubu’s political influence rather than allow Osun residents to choose their preferred candidate freely.
Responding to criticism of Salaam’s performance at the Arise News Town Hall, Abdullahi said voters would judge the candidate by his plans for the state rather than his command of English.
He said Salaam clearly explained in Yoruba how he intended to support pensioners and create jobs.
“If he doesn’t speak the English language that you want him to speak, the people of Osun State will not vote for him because he’s able to speak a certain kind of English language.
“They will vote for him because he’s able to speak to the needs that they have,” he stated.
Abdullahi also rejected the use of the ADC’s previous electoral results to determine its strength in Osun, arguing that off-cycle elections had distinct peculiarities.
He blamed President Tinubu for creating what he described as a dangerous political atmosphere through his reported remark that “all is fair in politics”.
According to him, political actors could interpret the statement as permission to employ extreme measures to secure electoral victory.
“When the President of the Federal Republic says ‘all is fair in politics,’ it means that you can maim, you can kill, you can steal, you can do whatever it takes, just deliver victory,” Abdullahi alleged.
Turning to the 2027 presidential election, Abdullahi said the ADC remained confident that it could defeat Tinubu, whether or not opposition parties agreed on a single candidate.
He maintained that a broad coalition would make the task easier but insisted that its failure would not make defeating the President impossible.
Abdullahi cited what he described as the ADC’s internal polling, worsening economic hardship and declining support for Tinubu, particularly in parts of northern Nigeria, as reasons for the party’s confidence.
He also criticised the interim report of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission into the alleged fake Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council.
“The report did not tell us what happened. The report only told us who are not responsible,” he said.
Abdullahi accused the commission of focusing on exonerating senior government officials without establishing how the alleged council was created and operated.
