A senior special adviser to Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, Funmiso Babarinde, has defended the N4.8 million recovered during a police raid on the residence of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Teslim Igbalaye, insisting the money was intended for a party empowerment programme rather than vote buying.
Babarinde made the clarification on Thursday during an appearance on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, while reacting to the controversy surrounding the police operation ahead of the August 15 governorship election in Osun State.
According to him, the raid took place while the SSG was attending a stakeholders’ meeting convened by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), where the commission’s national chairman met with political stakeholders in the state.
He alleged that operatives of the Osun State Police Command stormed Igbalaye’s residence during the meeting and arrested several party canvassers who had gathered there.
Babarinde said the SSG later drove to the state police headquarters after learning of the operation in an effort to secure the release of those arrested, but was himself detained on arrival.
He maintained that Igbalaye had not received any invitation from the police before presenting himself at the command headquarters.
The governor’s aide disclosed that police recovered N4.8 million in cash, voter registers for Osogbo Local Government Area, two voter cards, a laptop and a printer during the search of the residence.
He explained that the voter registers were publicly available documents obtained from INEC and were being reproduced for distribution to party canvassers who would carry out grassroots mobilisation across the 15 electoral wards in Osogbo Local Government.
According to Babarinde, the laptop and printer found at the residence were being used to produce copies of the register for campaign activities.
He argued that possessing the voter register could not constitute an offence because the document is publicly accessible through INEC.
“There is nothing illegal about possessing the register because it is a public document released by INEC. They were simply printing copies for canvassers who would embark on house-to-house mobilisation,” he said.
Babarinde further claimed that police informed party leaders that some individuals they had been searching for were among those arrested during the operation.
He said the raid resulted in the arrest of numerous party members, adding that while some had since been released, others remained in police custody as of Thursday morning.
The aide also disclosed that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had concluded arrangements to stage a peaceful protest and address a press conference to draw attention to what it described as developments surrounding the arrests.
Responding to allegations that the recovered cash was intended for vote buying, Babarinde dismissed the claims, insisting the funds were earmarked for an empowerment programme for party members.
He argued that N4.8 million was not an unusually large amount for a government official occupying the office of the Secretary to the State Government and noted that empowerment programmes are routinely organised by elected officials and government institutions at different levels.
“Is N4.8 million too much money for a whole Secretary to the State Government? The money was meant for empowerment. If you want to give people N10,000 each, that is what it was meant for. Everybody is doing empowerment—the Federal Government, the First Lady, senators and members of the House of Representatives. Why should it become an offence?” he said.
Babarinde also questioned the basis of allegations of vote buying, arguing that those present at the SSG’s residence were members of his political party rather than members of the voting public.
“If you are going to buy votes, do you buy votes from your own party members? These were his supporters gathered in his house. He is the political leader of his local government and it is normal for party members to meet there,” he added.
Maintaining that no electoral offence had been committed, Babarinde accused security operatives of portraying legitimate political mobilisation as criminal activity.
The controversy comes amid heightened political tension in Osun State as political parties intensify campaigns ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
