Posted by Chinenye on Fri 10th Jul, 2026 - tori.ng
Fresh tension has erupted ahead of the Osun governorship election as Governor Ademola Adeleke and APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji exchange serious allegations over an alleged plot involving voters' PVCs.
(Ademola Adeleke and Bola Oyebamiji. Photo Credit: Daily Post)
Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State and the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, traded blame on Thursday over claims that voters were being induced to give up their Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, ahead of the August 15 governorship poll.
The back-and-forth came after Adeleke cautioned that certain politicians were reportedly buying PVCs and obtaining voters' Personal Identification Numbers, PINs, warning that such conduct could threaten the integrity of the election.
Through a statement from his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, the governor accused APC members of running a coordinated scheme to collect PVCs and PINs from the electorate, especially in areas seen as Accord Party bases.
According to Adeleke, the alleged scheme was designed to stop affected voters from casting ballots by tampering with their registration details before election day.
He stated that APC agents were extracting PIN numbers from voters' cards by offering them cash, adding that the operation was concentrated in local government areas with strong Accord Party support, with the goal of causing widespread displacement of registered voters from their polling locations.
The governor further alleged that some people were being made to take oaths before handing over copies of their voter cards or PINs, and he urged residents to reject any inducement that could cost them their right to vote.
Adeleke also pressed the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to look into the claims, saying the electoral body should not ignore the matter.
He added that there were reports of insider collusion still being investigated, and that any connection between the PIN numbers on voter cards and attempts to manipulate the voting process was troubling.
Speaking at a campaign event in Osogbo, APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji fired back, cautioning residents against trading their PVCs for cash and alleging that certain unnamed persons were trying to buy the cards through indirect financial inducements.
Speaking to traders at Sabo Market who pledged their backing for his governorship ambition, Oyebamiji told eligible voters to hold on to their PVCs and refuse any offer meant to sway their participation in the election.
He said some people were now buying PVCs indirectly by inviting young people to local government offices, taking their account details, and transferring money to them, urging residents not to fall for it.
Oyebamiji also pledged to run an inclusive government if elected, assuring traders and other residents that his administration would engage communities on their needs and would not neglect them after winning the election.
Osun State's governorship election is set for August 15, with Adeleke, the incumbent, seeking re-election on the Accord Party platform.
Oyebamiji of the APC, Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, and 11 other candidates have been cleared by INEC to contest the election.