The Osun State Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of deliberately creating political tension to discourage voters from participating in Saturday’s governorship election.
Alimi made the allegation on Thursday while appearing on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, as political parties intensified preparations for the August 15 poll.
According to the commissioner, the APC was aware of its declining popularity in Osun and was allegedly relying on intimidation and federal influence to suppress voter participation.
“They have been telling the people around that don’t come out to vote if you are not going to vote for APC. They have been issuing that threat over a long period of time,” Alimi alleged.
He claimed that the alleged threats were part of a broader strategy to reduce voter turnout and ultimately influence the election’s outcome.
“They are creating tension so that at the end of the day, the number of people that will come out to vote will be drastically reduced,” he said.
Alimi further alleged that APC members had threatened to use federal influence against the wishes of Osun voters, claiming that the party knew it had lost the support of the electorate.
“APC in Osun State know that they have been rejected. They know that people don’t like them, but they are ready to brag at every opportunity that they will use federal might to suppress the will of the people,” he alleged.
The commissioner urged residents not to be intimidated, insisting that voters would determine the outcome through their ballots.
“We will refuse to be intimidated. Our people will stand by their vote, will come out to vote and will stand by their vote and we are going to defeat them,” he said.
LG crisis designed to cripple Adeleke government
Alimi also alleged that the prolonged dispute over local government administration and funding in Osun was initially intended to weaken the administration of Governor Ademola Adeleke.
He claimed that the strategy was designed to leave the state government unable to meet its salary obligations, thereby triggering industrial action by workers and eroding public confidence in the administration.
“They thought, by the time they took that test, that three or four months, the government will collapse. The government will not be able to meet the salary obligations, the worker will go on strike, and then it will be very easy for them,” he alleged.
According to Alimi, when the alleged strategy failed, other areas of political confrontation emerged, including disputes over billboards, sporadic shootings and control of motor parks.
“When that one failed, they now move on to a series of other design tests, like the issue of a billboard when the election starts, shooting sporadically injuring people, up to the issue of motor park,” he said.
The commissioner had earlier claimed that the state government was spending about N6.5 billion monthly on local government-related salary obligations, while alleging that disputed local government allocations were being paid to APC-backed council officials.
He also claimed that Osun had committed about N100 billion of its own resources to sustain the obligations, while putting the broader financial exposure arising from the dispute at nearly N300 billion.
Adeleke-Oyinlola dispute predates Accord defection
Addressing criticism from former Osun State Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola over Adeleke’s decision to leave the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the Accord Party, Alimi said the disagreement between the governor and some PDP elders predated the recent defection.
Oyinlola, who also appeared on Frontline on Tuesday, had criticised Adeleke for allegedly failing to consult key political stakeholders before leaving the PDP.
Alimi, however, traced the disagreement to the 2022 PDP governorship primary, when some party elders supported Dr Dotun Babayemi during a parallel primary.
He said the dispute subsequently went through the courts up to the Supreme Court, adding that Adeleke’s victories in the legal battles did not lead to full reconciliation between the rival camps.
“They did not support Adeleke in 2022, even in 2018. They supported one, Dr Babayemi, and the case was brought up to the Supreme Court,” Alimi said.
“When Adeleke won all the cases, they could not reintegrate properly into the mainstream of the party,” he added.
The commissioner therefore rejected the suggestion that Adeleke’s decision to join Accord was simply the result of failing to consult political elders.
“This is not about consultation, it’s about perhaps the whole wound has not properly healed,” he said.
Alimi also claimed that Oyinlola had previously advised Adeleke to consider joining Accord rather than the APC.
“They are part of the people. Ask anybody, Baba Oyinlola was the first one on radio who said, the only party that is safe for Adeleke to join is the Accord,” he alleged.
He further claimed that some political figures who had previously opposed Adeleke joining the APC later backed an APC candidate in the current election.
Callers raise concerns over violence
The programme also featured reactions from callers who expressed concerns about political violence and the alleged influence of federal power ahead of Saturday’s election.
A caller identified as AB from Epe questioned the controversy surrounding local government funds and urged attention to deaths and other incidents allegedly linked to the political crisis.
Another caller, Wasiu from Ago-Iwoye, appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and security agencies to identify and prosecute individuals responsible for political threats and violence.
He also called for threatening political statements to be taken seriously and for adequate security to be provided at vulnerable locations ahead of the poll.
Oscar, a caller from Ijebu-Ode, condemned the increasing role of violence in Nigerian politics, arguing that political office should be pursued as an avenue for public service rather than a struggle for power.
He called for fundamental reforms to the political system, warning that violence would persist if politicians continued to regard elections as battles for power.
Saturday’s election will see Adeleke, who is seeking another term on the platform of the Accord Party, face APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji and other contenders.
