JUST IN: Adeleke Campaign Council alleges APC plot to disrupt campaign flag-off

Politics

OSOGBO, Nigeria (NPA) — The Imole Campaign Council (TICC), the campaign organisation for Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke’s re-election bid, has alleged that elements within the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) are plotting to disrupt the governor’s official campaign flag-off scheduled for June 16, 2026.

In a statement issued by its spokesperson, Pelumi Olajengbesi, the council claimed it had received intelligence suggesting that some APC actors were planning to sponsor protests aimed at disrupting the event.

According to the council, the alleged plan involves recruiting individuals to pose as students, civil society activists, or advocates for the release of recently abducted schoolchildren in Oyo State.

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The campaign organisation described the alleged move as an attempt to exploit a national tragedy for political purposes.

“If true, such a scheme represents a disturbing effort to use the pain of innocent schoolchildren, their families, and the concerns of Nigerians as a tool for partisan political advantage,” the statement said.

The council noted that Governor Adeleke had consistently expressed sympathy for victims of insecurity across the country and had publicly identified with the plight of abducted schoolchildren and their families.

It argued, however, that the governor’s campaign flag-off is a constitutionally recognised electoral activity that was scheduled long before the recent abduction incident and should not be linked to events outside Osun State.

“The official campaign launch forms part of a legally prescribed electoral process and cannot reasonably be blamed for a tragic development that occurred outside the state and beyond the control of the Osun State Government,” the council stated.

TICC further accused the APC of attempting to manipulate public emotions and generate controversy in a bid to undermine a lawful democratic exercise.

The campaign organisation called on security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), to remain vigilant and prevent any attempt to disrupt the event.

It urged authorities to investigate any efforts to sponsor unrest, impersonate advocacy groups, or use public grievances as a political tool.

The council also appealed to students, youth groups, civil society organisations, and members of the public not to allow themselves to be used for political purposes.

According to TICC, Governor Adeleke remains focused on governance, development, and improving the welfare of the people of Osun State.

The council expressed confidence that the governor’s popularity and support across communities, professional groups, artisans, women, students, and grassroots organisations would not be diminished by what it described as politically motivated distractions.

It further called for peaceful, issue-based campaigns ahead of the governorship election, stressing that political contests should be driven by performance, vision, and democratic engagement rather than attempts to exploit public tragedies.

As of the time of filing this report, the Osun State chapter of the APC had not issued an official response to the allegations.