The Osun State House of Assembly members have accused the Independent National Electoral Commission of planning to compromise the August 15 governorship election by making use of the members snd loyalists of the All Progressives Congress as electoral officials.

A majority 24 out of the 26 lawmakers, under the ruling Accord Party, made this allegation while addressing journalists at the Assembly complex in Osogbo.

This is also as the legislators linked the sudden redeployment of Resident Electoral Commissioner in Osun, Mutiu Agboke, to the influence and pressure by the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola.

Addresing the media, the Speaker of the House, Adewale Egbedun, demanded free and fair election, noting that the legislative arm would not tolerate any form of electoral manipulation.

“It has come to our notice that there has been a sudden redeployment of the Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Osun State. We also have credible information that further deployments of interested people are being planned and may extend to other key officials, including the Administrative Secretary, Electoral Officers, Assistant Electoral Officers, and ICT personnel across the State.

We are particularly concerned by a deliberate pattern of actions aimed at influencing the electoral process in Osun State.

It is instructive to note that Ekiti State, which precedes Osun in the electoral calendar, has not witnessed such widespread deployments of electoral officials. This raises serious and legitimate questions. Why Osun State?,” Egbedun wondered.

Insisting that Agboke’s removal was facilitated by Oyetola, the Speaker said, “We state clearly that we have credible information linking these developments to the actions and influence of Mr Gboyega Oyetola.”

He warned, “Let it be clearly stated that no amount of administrative changes or deployments of interested officials will override the will of the people of Osun State.

These calculated efforts, no matter how structured, cannot alter the resolve of our people. The people of Osun State are politically conscious, vigilant, and determined to ensure that their votes count and reflect their true choice.”

Alleging of plans to recruit APC loyalists as INEC officials ahead of the poll, Egbedun stated, “We have also received credible reports that in parts of the State, particularly within the Ife Ijesa Senatorial District, there are plans to compromise the process through the use of APC members in critical electoral roles such as returning officers and supervisors. This is unacceptable and will not be tolerated. We are placing the public on notice.”

The lawmakers further warned that the deployment of a new REC to Osun would be in accordance with the law, adding, “Let it be made unequivocally clear that whoever is deployed to conduct elections in Osun State must do so in strict accordance with the Constitution and the law. The election must be free, fair, and credible. Anything short of this will be firmly resisted by Osun people.”

They also called the attention of the international community, development partners, and all observers of democratic governance to these developments in Osun State as they unfold, saying, “We speak as representatives of the people of Osun State. All we ask for, and all we insist on, is a free, fair, and credible election.

Let it be known that Osun State is politically aware, vigilant, and deeply committed to democratic values. The people of this State will not accept any action, from any quarter, that undermines the credibility of the electoral process.”

The All Progressives Congress and the New Nigeria Peoples Party had petitioned the National Chairman of INEC, Joash Amupitan against Agboke, accusing him of partisan conducts ahead of the August 15 governorship election in the state.