Residents of Egbedore and Atakumosa East Local Government Areas of Osun State have raised the alarm over the alleged replacement of the original list of polling unit officers and ad-hoc staff with names of persons who were neither shortlisted nor trained by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The allegation was contained in a post by Duke of Osun on his

official

X handle on Friday.

According to him, INEC officials in Osogbo allegedly swapped the original list of presiding officers, their assistants and other ad-hoc personnel with names that were not on the initial list and did not participate in the commission’s training.

He said the development was particularly reported in Egbedore, Atakumosa East and Atakumosa West local government areas.

“It has come to our attention that INEC officials in Osogbo are swapping the list of original Polling Unit officers and ad-hoc staff with names of people that were neither trained nor shortlisted,” he stated.

He added that the lists of presiding officers and their assistants were allegedly changed on Friday morning, with trained corps members and other ad-hoc staff replaced by unfamiliar names.

“Strange names that were not on the initial list and never attended INEC training were suddenly posted this morning to serve as electoral officials,” he added.

He described the alleged development as an assault on the integrity of INEC’s conduct of a free and fair election.

The allegation comes as President Bola Tinubu urged INEC and security agencies to ensure a peaceful, transparent and credible governorship election in Osun State.

Tinubu, in a statement issued on Friday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, urged voters to turn out and exercise their franchise without fear or intimidation.

Fifteen candidates are contesting Saturday’s election, including the incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party, the All Progressives Congress candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, and the African Democratic Congress candidate, Najeem Salaam.

The President urged INEC to uphold the integrity of the electoral process and ensure that the election meets the required standards of transparency and fairness.

“As the people of Osun State head to the polling units to elect who will govern them in the next four years, I call on the Independent National Electoral Commission to ensure orderly conduct of the election.

“The election must be transparent, free and fair. I urge INEC to ensure the integrity of the process,” he said.

Tinubu described the Osun governorship election as the last off-cycle governorship poll before the 2027 general elections, urging INEC to use it to demonstrate its preparedness for the next nationwide electoral exercise.

He also directed the Inspector-General of Police and other security chiefs deployed for the election to provide maximum protection for voters and electoral personnel.

“I have charged the Inspector-General of Police and other heads of security outfits taking part in the election to provide maximum security at polling units. No room should be allowed for troublemakers to disrupt the process,” he said.

The President stressed that electoral officials and voters must be able to perform their civic responsibilities without fear, intimidation or violence.

He also urged eligible voters across the state to come out and vote for candidates of their choice, assuring them that adequate security measures had been put in place before, during and after the election.

Tinubu further called on political parties and their supporters to respect the democratic process and accept the outcome of the election.

“Our elections must be credible, and the outcome of the Osun Governorship election must reflect the will of the people,” he said. (The Guardian)