The governorship candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, in Abia State,  Doris Ogala, has lambasted the imposition of N150m charges on guber candidates for the placement of campaign billboards in the state.

In a video sighted on X, Ogala said she does not have a godfather who ‘has stolen government funds’ to pay such an amount of money for billboard display.

DAILY POST recalls that the Abia State Structure for Signage and Advertising Agency, ABSSAA, placed N200 million and N150 million fees on all 2027 presidential candidates and governorship candidates who wish to display their political campaign structures in the State advertisement space.

Reacting, Ogala said, “People are dying in the hospital. Workers are dying. Their salaries have not been paid, and you are imposing 150 million naira for a candidate. Where will I get the money from?

“Do I have a godfather who has stolen government funds? I should pay 150 million naira. I dare anybody to touch my billboard. All of us will campaign without a billboard in this state.”

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The Accord party has warned that the harassment, arrest and detention of government officials and leaders of the political party in Osun State must stop, noting that the state is preparing for an election and not a for war.

The party demanded the immediate release of its detained members and the removal of the Commissioner of Police in the state, Ibrahim Gotan, insisting that the people of the state should be allowed to freely choose their governor.

Accord said that it is peacefully carrying out its grassroots campaign for the August 15, governorship election in Osun State but alleged that the opposition All Progressives Congress in the state in collaboration with the Osun State Police Command and thugs associated with the APC have been unleashing unprecedented assaults on the nation’s democracy to undermine the gubernatorial poll. 

“The danger is very glaring and must be forestalled immediately by all stakeholders in the electoral process to save our hard earned democracy,” a statement signed by Barr Maxwell Mgbudem, its National Chairman, said.

Accord said it had previously addressed the media on the mindless killing of its leaders and supporters, multiple attacks on Imole Campaign Council and party’s offices, destruction of campaign billboards etc, by thugs associated with the APC. 

“These attacks were duly reported to the Police and other security agencies in the state, sadly none of these known hoodlums was arrested let alone prosecuted to serve as a deterrent to others,” it added.

“It was this apparent Police compromise that forced Accord to demand the removal of the Osun State Police Commissioner Ibrahim Gotan as he has become partisan.

“As at today, about 100 Accord leaders, candidates, members and supporters across the state have been arrested and detained by the Police, some of them were moved to Abuja. It is glaring that their arrests are politically motivated, to frustrate, weaken and dampen our party’s campaign efforts in Osun State. 

“As if this is not enough to subdue the party before the election, the Police invaded the residences of six commissioners and the Secretary to the State Government in the most despicable Gestapo-style operations, setting aside decency, dignity, professionalism and democratic ethics.”

Accord said it condemns in strong terms this reprehensible targeted harassment, intimidation, oppression, arrest and detention of top government officials, party leaders and members by the Police in Osun State without charges preferred against them, adding, “It is draconian and unacceptable.

“It is ironic that the same Police operatives who ignored duly reported attacks on the Imole Campaign Council and party offices, killing of its members and supporters and destruction of campaign billboards etc, would storm the homes of top government officials and arrest several party leaders and members of our great party in the state. 

“It is obvious that the Osun State Police operatives are partisan in this election, giving credence to the APC national leaders’ boasting of state capture by deploying federal might.”

Accord called on President Bola Tinubu, National Security Adviser, the Inspector General of Police, civil society organisations, the international community and all lovers of democratic governance to intervene and save the nation’s hard earned constitutional rule from reactionary forces.

The party reiterated its demand for the removal of the state Commissioner of Police before the election to guarantee a level field for all the political parties participating in the election.

It added, “This needless assault on our democracy shall not stand. Accord will not succumb to intimidation by overzealous police operatives and their cohorts. The good people of Osun State are in one accord with Governor Ademola Adeleke and will massively re-elect him on August 15. Imole’s achievements in spite of efforts to destabilise the state by anti-democratic forces speak for themselves. 

“No brute force will break the resolve of the people of Osun from identifying with Accord and its candidate in the upcoming gubernatorial poll.  In the end, the ballot is stronger than the bullet. 

The party urges its members to remain calm and law abiding.

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Joash Amupitan, has declared that there will be no manual accreditation during the Osun State governorship election, insisting that biometric verification through the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, remained the only statutory method for accrediting voters.

Amupitan made the declaration on Thursday in Osogbo during the formal signing of the Osun State Governorship Election Peace Accord ahead of the August 15, 2026 governorship poll. 

The event was organised by the National Peace Committee, NPC, and attended by political parties, security agencies, traditional rulers and other stakeholders.

The INEC chairman assured residents that the commission had reached an advanced stage of preparedness for the election, stating that seven out of the nine activities in the election timetable had already been completed.

He disclosed that voting would take place across 30 local government areas, the Modakeke Area Office, 332 registration areas and 3,763 polling units.

According to him, “the certified register of voters, after the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) exercise, stands at 2,339,233 eligible voters while PVC collection at local government offices had been extended until Friday, 31 July, to enable more registered voters collect their cards before the election.”

Amupitan also addressed recent security incidents involving the theft of uncollected Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, in Okuku, Odo-Otin Local Government Area, and Ife Central.

He assured the public that the stolen PVCs could not be used for voting because they require live biometric verification through BVAS before accreditation.

“Since biometric verification via the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) remains the sole statutory mechanism for accreditation, there will be no manual accreditation. Without live biometric verification on the BVAS, a stolen card cannot accredit anyone,” he said.

The INEC chairman who disclosed that serial numbers of the stolen PVCs could be blacklisted, while security agencies were pursuing those responsible added that affected voters would receive replacement cards or be authorised to use digital verification PVC downloads.

He revealed that the commission had customised 4,427 BVAS devices for Osun State, including 664 backup units representing a 15 per cent operational reserve and explained that all polling unit result sheets, known as Form EC8A, would be scanned and uploaded directly to the INEC Result Viewing Portal, IReV, immediately after voting concludes.

Expressing concern over reports of political violence and insecurity, Amupitan said INEC had shifted from reactive monitoring to proactive prevention through intelligence-led security operations coordinated by the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, ICCES.

“We will not allow the democratic will of the people be subverted by fear or force. Security agencies would protect voters, election officials and electoral materials throughout the exercise,” he added.

The Chairman of the National Peace Committee, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, represented by John Cardinal Onaiyekan, urged political parties to respect both the spirit and letter of the Peace Accord. 

He stressed that elections would come and go, but peace and stability must remain, while calling on INEC and security agencies to remain impartial and professional throughout the electoral process.

Representing the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, Assistant Inspector-General of Police Akinyele Fasugba of Zone XI Command assured residents that the Nigeria Police Force was fully prepared to secure the election. 

He said additional police personnel had begun arriving in Osun and pledged that the police would remain neutral to ensure a free, fair, credible and transparent election. 

He also stated that Amotekun Corps and vigilante groups would not be deployed for election security duties.

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke expressed concern over the harassment and arrest of members of his Accord, alleging that over 60 party members, including the Secretary to the State Government, Teslim Igbalaye, had been detained. 

He appealed to the National Peace Committee to prevail on the Inspector-General of Police to return those detained in Abuja for trial in Osun, while also calling on President Bola Tinubu to intervene. Adeleke reaffirmed his commitment to peaceful, free and fair elections.

Also speaking, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, urged residents to reject violence and protect the state’s reputation for peace. 

He said, “Osun State is bigger than any individual. Do not let anybody buy your conscience. Whatever you choose to vote, vote that person and go back home peacefully. We do not want violence.”

The high point of the event was the formal signing of the Peace Accord by the participating political parties.