By John Dike, Osogbo
Chairman of Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC), Hashim Abioye, has disclosed how the commission outmaneuvered alleged attempts by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Prince Lateef Fagbemi, and the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to stop the February 22, 2025 local government elections in the state.
He spoke during an appearance on Frontliners, a programme hosted by the League of Veteran Journalists in Osun, where he said the commission received intelligence ahead of the polls indicating an alleged plot to disrupt the election.
The commission, in response, took proactive steps by distributing sensitive election materials to all local governments days before the vote, he said.
Abioye accused both the AGF and IGP of using their offices to suppress the will of the people and interfere in the electoral process.
But he said, “The IGP is not empowered by law to interpret judicial matters, let alone shut down an electoral body on the eve of a scheduled election.”
According to him, the police had intended to block the commission’s operations by sealing its offices just hours before the election. However, unknown to them, OSSIEC had already dispatched all necessary materials ahead of time.
His words, “On the Tuesday before the election, we quietly moved all sensitive materials out of our headquarters and distributed them across the 30 local government areas.
“By Friday, over 200 security operatives surrounded our premises, thinking we were yet to distribute the materials. But they came too late.”
Defending the legitimacy of the February 22 polls, he dismissed those currently occupying the local government secretariats as “anarchists,” claiming they had no legal mandate.
“The people parading themselves as local government chairmen from the APC are impostors. Their tenure does not exist in law. The courts, including the Court of Appeal, have ruled against them. They filed a stay of execution and the court threw it out,” he explained.
Abioye maintained that the current council leadership produced by the OSSIEC-supervised elections are the only legitimate officeholders.
He further stated that he has remained impartial in his duties, emphasizing that Governor Ademola Adeleke had never interfered with the commission’s operations.
He also disclosed that OSSIEC had allowed the APC to obtain election forms on credit.
“If I had wanted to manipulate the process, I wouldn’t have done that,” he added.
The OSSIEC chairman emphasized that the commission acted with integrity and foresight, ensuring that democratic processes were protected in Osun State despite external interference.
