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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that despite the Court of Appeal’s judgment that the PDP candidate be included in the Osun State governorship elections, the party will not field any candidate in the elections.

Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, told The Nation that they filed a stay of execution and appealed the judgment.

A three-man panel of the Court of Appeal ruled on Thursday that the candidate sponsored by the Tanimu Turaki camp of the PDP be allowed to participate in the election.

Under the electoral guidelines, only party leadership recognised by the Commission and listed in its database can present candidates for an election, but the Turaki camp is not recognised by the Commission.

Oketola said the Commission was proceeding with the conduct of the Osun elections, adding that neither of the two PDP camps was presenting any candidate for the election.

National Publicity Secretary of the Wike-backed National Working Committee, Jagunda Haruna Mohammed, said they were not presenting any candidate for the elections because Gov. Ademola Adeleke, the only person who bought the party nomination form, pulled out of the party.

Oketola said, “Although the Court of Appeal delivered a judgment on Thursday directing the inclusion of the PDP on the ballot, I want to make it clear that the judgment does not affect the Commission’s operational arrangements for tomorrow’s election. The Osun State Governorship Election remains scheduled for Saturday, 15 August 2026.

“INEC has already taken the necessary legal steps by filing an appeal against the judgment, together with an application for a Stay of Execution. The Commission will continue to pursue the matter through the appropriate judicial process while maintaining its preparations for the election.

“From an operational standpoint, the situation on the ground remains clear. Neither faction of the PDP is presently fielding an active candidate in the election. Accordingly, the judgment does not affect the Commission’s existing preparations or the conduct of tomorrow’s poll.

“There is no postponement or disruption to tomorrow’s election. The Commission’s logistical arrangements across Osun State are in place, and the necessary security arrangements have been made. Voting will commence at 8:30 a.m. tomorrow as scheduled.”

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Barely 24hours to the Osun State governorship election scheduled for August 15, 2026, the state government has initiated legal action seeking to compel the Nigeria Police Force to investigate statements attributed to Senator Francis Fadahunsi, which allegedly called for violence against members and supporters of the Accord Party.

In the suit filed by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Oluwole Jimi-Bada, on behalf of the state, the government is seeking an Order of Mandamus compelling the Inspector-General of Police and the Commissioner of Police, Osun State Command, to investigate the alleged inciting statements contained in a circulating video.

The suit, dated August 12, 2026, was filed at the Osogbo Division of the Osun State High Court.

The Inspector-General of Police and the Osun State Commissioner of Police are listed as the first and second respondents, respectively, while Senator Fadahunsi, who represents Osun East Senatorial District in the National Assembly, is named as the Person Affected/Interested Party.

The video allegedly shows Senator Fadahunsi addressing a political gathering in front of the Owa Obokun’s Palace in Ilesha, where he is alleged to have made statements calling for violence against members of the Accord Party.

According to the court documents, the alleged remarks included a call for APC members to kill Accord Party members wherever they encountered them, as well as threats involving their wives and children.

The applicant further alleges that the senator called for Accord Party members to be chased out of hotels and warned that the governorship election would not hold if Accord Party members resisted APC members.

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However, the Attorney-General makes clear that the application is not asking the court to determine Senator Fadahunsi’s criminal guilt.

Rather, the state wants the police compelled to investigate the allegations, secure and preserve the electronic evidence, and take lawful preventive measures where necessary.

The application specifically seeks the complete and unedited version of the video, its authentication and forensic examination, as well as an investigation into its location, date, audience, sponsors, publishers, circulators and other persons connected with the alleged statements.

The documents state that the video was obtained from Facebook on August 11, 2026, by Nurudeen Kareem, Special Adviser to the Osun State Governor on Legal Matters, who deposed to the supporting affidavit and provided a certificate of compliance relating to the electronic evidence.

The Attorney-General argues that the police have a statutory responsibility to prevent and detect crime, maintain public order, and protect lives and property, adding that the alleged statements, if authenticated, could amount to serious criminal conduct and threaten electoral peace.

The state is also asking the court to compel the police to take preventive measures to protect Accord Party members, supporters, candidates, agents and officials, as well as voters and other residents who may be endangered by the alleged incitement.

It further wants the police to submit a comprehensive report on the steps taken in compliance with any order of the court within 48 hours, or within such other period as the court may direct.

In its written address, the state argues that “time is of the absolute essence”, given the August 15 governorship election.

It contends that any delay in the investigation, preservation of evidence and preventive policing could expose innocent citizens to avoidable danger, potentially resulting in loss of life and irreparable harm.

The Attorney-General maintains that the reliefs sought are preventive, rather than an invitation to the court to determine Senator Fadahunsi’s guilt, and asks the court to compel the police to perform their statutory duties in the interest of public safety, electoral peace and the rule of law.

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President of the Senate, Godswill Obot Akpabio, has assured the people of Osun State that adequate security arrangements have been put in place to ensure a peaceful and credible governorship election scheduled for Saturday.

Akpabio, who represented President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship campaign rally in Osogbo, urged residents to come out in large numbers and exercise their constitutional right without fear or intimidation.

He assured voters that they were free to vote for candidates of their choice, while urging them to make what he described as a wise choice by supporting the APC candidate, Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO.

“Feel very free to cast your votes for the candidate of your choice. My advice, however, is that you choose wisely because there is a need to link Osun State to the centre. We are waiting for Osun to join us,” Akpabio said.

He added that nobody would molest voters during the exercise, noting that such incidents could only occur on social media and not at the polling units.

The Senate President said the impressive turnout at the rally demonstrated the growing strength and acceptance of the APC in Osun State, expressing confidence that the party would emerge victorious at the poll.

He noted that the APC campaign had attracted prominent political figures, including former Osun State Governor and former Interim National Chairman of the party, Pa Bisi Akande; former National Secretary, Iyiola Omisore; Senator Fadahunsi and other party leaders.

Akpabio also acknowledged the support of opposition figures for the APC candidate, particularly former Osun State Governor and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, as well as the leadership of the Accord Party in the state.

According to him, the support reflected a broader desire among stakeholders for a new direction and greater development in Osun State.

The Senate President said Osun deserved improved infrastructure and greater development, charging Oyebamiji to make the transformation of the state a priority from his first day in office if elected.

He said the incoming administration should focus on providing quality infrastructure and delivering tangible dividends of democracy to the people.

Akpabio urged the people of Osun to maintain peace before, during and after the election, stressing that the exercise offered them an opportunity to determine the future direction of the state.

“The message to the people of Osun is clear: come out peacefully on Saturday, exercise your franchise and choose a future of greater development, stronger opportunities and closer alignment with the centre,” he said.