Four months to the Osun State governorship election, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have formally petitioned the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, over alleged irregular staff redeployments ahead of the election.

This is as the Commission yesterday announced a consequential adjustment to the campaign timeline for the forthcoming Osun guber poll following a shift in the election date.

The petition was submitted after a peaceful demonstration held in Osogbo on Thursday, during which members of the Coalition of Concerned Nigerian Citizens gathered to register their grievances regarding recent personnel changes within the Commission. According to the group, the redeployment exercise raised questions about transparency and fairness, particularly as preparations intensify for the August 15 governorship poll.

In their submission, the coalition alleged that certain individuals perceived to have political leanings had been assigned to key positions across local government offices and the electoral body’s state headquarters.

The petition, jointly signed by the coalition’s chairman, Musa Akinkunmi, and spokesperson, Oluomo Success, stated that the pattern of postings could undermine confidence in the electoral process.

The coalition also noted that similar large-scale staff movements were not observed in other states preparing for elections, including Ekiti, nor during the most recent governorship poll in Anambra State.

“It is difficult to understand why Osun should experience such extensive reshuffling when comparable situations elsewhere did not warrant the same approach,” the group added.

The recent redeployment of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Osun, Mutiu Agboke, to Ondo State, has continued to generate reactions among political stakeholders. While the Accord Party questioned the timing of the move and alleged political interference, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state rejected the claims, insisting that the Commission’s internal decisions should not be politicised.

Announcing the shift yesterday, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, in a statement, said the last day of campaign is now midnight on Thursday, August 13.

The election, earlier scheduled for August 8, was moved forward by one week to August 15 as part of the revised timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 general election.

Haruna explained that the adjustment aligns with Section 98(1) of the Electoral Act 2026, which stipulates that campaigns must cease 24 hours before election day. The commission urged political parties, candidates and other stakeholders to strictly comply with the revised schedule.

Raising a red herring yesterday, the Director-General of the APC Campaign for the Osun governorship election, Oluwole Oke, has claimed that Governor Ademola Adeleke may not appear on the ballot due to an ongoing leadership dispute in court within the Accord Party.

Oke, who represents the Obokun and Ori-Ade Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, also expressed confidence that the APC would record a sweeping victory across 26 of Osun State’s 30 local government areas. He made the remarks while speaking with journalists after an endorsement meeting of some stakeholders for the APC governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji.

According to him, the Accord Party and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) would only secure about four local government areas between them. Oke further maintained that Adeleke stands no chance in the contest, insisting that the APC candidate possesses superior credentials and political pedigree.

“Adeleke and ADC candidate, Najeem Salam, will win only four local governments by splitting them among themselves. We are even going to compete very well with them in Ede North, South, Egbedore, and Ejigbo. We are targeting the electorate and not relying on anything outside this.

“Let me even say this, Adeleke might not be on the ballot because of the crisis within themselves; they have another candidate called Bamigbola in the Accord Party. They are in court, so we don’t know who is competing with us.”

This is because Governor Adeleke has blamed the delay in some of the projects embarked on by the state government across the state on allegedly hijacked Osun local government funds. Adeleke, who spoke in Osogbo at a meeting of key state officials involved in the implementation of mega projects in the state, explained that Osun has to shoulder the responsibility of paying local teachers, health workers, pensioners and local government workers that ought to be the responsibility of local government for more than one year.

The spokesperson to the governor, Olawale Rasheed, stated that the governor, however, described the field reports on the key projects as “heartwarming” and “in line with the timeline and projections of his government.”

According to him, the projects reviewed at the meeting included: Ile Ife flyover and dualisation, Lameco flyover at Osogbo, Ila Orangun township dualisation, Osogbo-Ofatedo-Awo junction dualisation, Iwo township dualisation, reconstruction of the bridge linking Ilahun and Ere Ìjèsà as well as Ibokun/Ilahun/Ere Ijesa – Iwoye ìjèsà, among others.

ADP: Constitution responsible for electoral woes

Ahead of the 2027 general election, the Action Democratic Party (ADP) has argued that Nigeria’s constitution, not INEC, is responsible for the electoral woes it is experiencing. ADP National Chairman, Yabaji Sani, who stated this yesterday, at the commencement of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting and INEC verification exercise, in Abuja, said allegations of bias by a section of opposition parties amounted to them chasing shadows.

He said: “We created the system that produced INEC, just like the police, judiciary and the National Assembly. The issue is not INEC.” Sani, therefore, called for constitutional reforms to ensure greater independence of electoral institutions, particularly in the appointment of INEC leadership.

“The Constitution needs to be amended so that no single individual has the power to appoint the person who chairs INEC. Not just Bola Ahmed Tinubu—any leader in that position could abuse such powers,” he added.

In the same vein, the Executive Director of the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), Clement Nwankwo, has called on the National Assembly to ensure the passage of 45 Critical Alteration bills, warning that a premature struggle for power as the 2027 elections draw near is threatening to derail critical constitutional reforms. Speaking at a town hall meeting yesterday in Abuja, he lamented that the National Assembly had missed its self-imposed December 2025 deadline for the bills.

Nwankwo expressed concern that political ambitions for the next election cycle are already overshadowing the legislative agenda. He said: “The indication we received at the beginning was that, by December 2025 at the latest, these bills would have been passed. Unfortunately, I think politics set in far too early. We are almost at the point where politicians are focused on the struggle for power.”

Nwankwo called on lawmakers to “step down” from politics to allow the National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly to conclude work on the 12 thematic areas of reform before active campaigning begins. The thematic areas include judicial and electoral reforms, local government autonomy, and the devolution of powers. He observed that the Special Seats Bill for women, which aims to address the gender imbalance in the legislature, remains a critical bill.

Responding to the concerns, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, assured citizens that the 10th House remains committed to a national rebirth process. Kalu, who chairs the House Committee on Constitution Review, described the constitution as a “living document” that must evolve.

“A nation’s constitution is not merely a legal document; it is the mirror of its aspirations and the machinery of its progress,” Kalu said. He pointed out that the process remains inclusive and responsive to the public will, aimed at strengthening governance and deepening democracy.

The dialogue also touched on the high-stakes debate over state policing, a move championed by President Bola Tinubu.

Nwankwo emphasised that while state policing is essential for addressing insecurity, the National Assembly must ensure stringent “safeguards for citizens’ rights” are included to prevent abuse. As the window for legislative action narrows, the civil society leader urged the political class to move beyond legal frameworks and demonstrate a genuine respect for the rule of law.

MEANWHILE, a constitutional lawyer, Dr Monday Ubani, yesterday, clarified the role of INEC at party congresses, conventions, or primaries. Ubani, who weighed in on growing concerns surrounding internal party processes under the Electoral Act 2026, noted that the absence of INEC at party congresses, conventions, or primaries does not automatically invalidate such exercises.

Ubani, who spoke following political intrigues ahead of the 2027 general elections, said the determining factor for the validity of any political party exercise remains strict compliance with statutory provisions, not whether INEC officials were physically present. According to him, the Electoral Act 2026 imposes a mandatory obligation on political parties to notify INEC at least 21 days before holding congresses, conventions, or primary elections.

He maintained that while the law compels parties to issue notice, it does not make INEC’s attendance a condition precedent for the validity of such exercises. “The law is clear. Political parties must give the required notice, but INEC’s role is essentially that of an observer. Where a party has fulfilled its obligation by notifying the commission, the absence of INEC does not invalidate the process,” he said.

Citing Section 82 of the Electoral Act 2026, Ubani explained that the only instance where a party’s exercise would be rendered invalid on the basis of INEC’s involvement is where the party fails to give the statutory notice. He noted that the provision clearly stipulates sanctions against political parties that do not comply with the notification requirement, adding that no such sanction exists for INEC where it fails to attend after being duly notified. The implication is straightforward: the law punishes the failure of a political party to notify INEC, not the commission’s failure or refusal to attend,” he added.

The learned silk further cited judicial precedents, including disputes arising from party primaries, to support his position. He explained that Nigerian courts have consistently distinguished between non-notification by political parties and non-attendance by INEC, maintaining that only the former can invalidate a congress or primary. He referenced a senatorial primary dispute involving the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Akwa Ibom State, where the issue of INEC’s absence was raised.

According to him, the courts focused on whether due process was followed and whether the party complied with its guidelines and the Electoral Act, rather than on the physical presence of INEC officials. (The Guardian)