The Action Peoples Party, APP, in Osun State has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to strengthen the security of its technological systems ahead of the August 15 governorship election.

The party also warned against any form of manipulation that could undermine the credibility of the August 15 poll.

In a statement issued on Sunday by the Osun APP Chairman, Odesola Oluseye Titus, the party urged electoral officials to take immediate steps to secure all technology-related aspects of the electoral process against fraud and unauthorised interference.

He called for rigorous verification of the voters’ register, the proper functioning of card readers, and stronger safeguards to prevent unauthorised access to electoral data.

“We urge INEC to take immediate action to ensure that all the technological systems related to the electoral process are secured against fraudulent activities.

“This includes rigorous verification of the voters’ register, the proper functioning of card readers, and safeguarding against unauthorised access to data,” he said.

The APP demanded that the electoral body remain vigilant and proactive in addressing any technical challenges, insisting that every eligible voter must be allowed to participate freely and fairly in the election.

“We call on INEC to uphold its responsibility to the citizens and ensure that the electoral process is transparent, credible, and free from any form of technical tampering,” the statement added.

The party said it was expressing the concerns of residents of Osun State over alleged technical irregularities reported during the recent Ekiti State governorship election.

According to the APP, “Reports emerging from the Ekiti poll have raised questions about the reliability and transparency of some electoral practices, prompting calls for greater scrutiny of the technology deployed in future elections.

“The residents of Osun State have observed with increasing alarm the alleged technical irregularities that were reported during the recent Ekiti State Governorship Election.”

The party warned that the people of the state would not accept any attempt to manipulate the democratic process through technological means, stressing that the integrity of elections remains paramount.

“We want to emphasise unequivocally that the people of Osun State will not tolerate any form of technical rigging or manipulation that compromises the democratic process.

“The people of Osun State are watching closely, and we will not hesitate to mobilise against any strategies aimed at disenfranchising voters or manipulating the August 15 governorship election result,” he stated.

The APP expressed hope that INEC would provide assurances that the forthcoming governorship election would be conducted in line with the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and fairness.

The implosion in the ruling Kwara State All Progressives Congress (APC) has continued to escalate as Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq’s group storms the party’s national headquarters in Abuja on Monday to meet with the national leadership over the crisis triggered by the alleged imposition of Speaker Yakubu Danladi Salihu as the party’s gubernatorial candidate for the 2027 general elections in the state.

DAILY POST reports that the move by the governor’s camp comes on the heels of a strong petition to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu by 10 gubernatorial aspirants who kicked against the recent primary election that produced Engr Yakubu Danladi Salihu as the party’s gubernatorial candidate.

Recall that members of the party’s elders’ caucus in the state, led by Chief James Bamisaiye, and some aspirants had earlier rejected the emergence of Engr Yakubu Danladi Salihu in Abuja. They alleged that he was anointed by Governor AbdulRazaq and urged the party’s national leadership to intervene.

The chairman of the party in the state, Prince Sunday Fagbemi, is leading the governor’s team alongside former PDP Secretary, Razaq Lawal, and Chairman of the Niger River Basin Development Authority, Abdullateef Alakawa, among others, according to sources.

Credible sources familiar with the latest development hinted that the high-powered delegation of APC stakeholders aligned with the governor is on a mission to present the governor’s position to key organs of the ruling party.

A source involved in the planning of the Abuja trip revealed that arrangements had been concluded for members of the delegation to depart Ilorin aboard a chartered flight.

According to the source, the decision to use a chartered aircraft was informed by a desire to ensure that details of the movement are kept away from public scrutiny.

“We want to ensure that nobody knows who is travelling. So, we are leaving by 6 a.m. tomorrow, Monday, through a chartered flight,” the source said.

The governor’s group is expected to meet with the national chairman of the party and members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC).

The team is also expected to hold consultations with the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), as part of broader efforts to secure support for the governor’s position on the unfolding political developments within the ruling party in the state.

While the governor’s supporters insist that the party remains united and capable of resolving its internal differences, political analysts and critics are, however, of the view that recent developments reflect widening cracks within the APC’s structure in the state.

The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) has accused the Vice-Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, of allegedly ‘snatching’ 69 forms for various political offices in Kano, thereby creating chaos and uncertainty for the party.

Speaking at a press briefing at the NUJ Press Centre, Kano, the PRP State Chairman, Abdulkadir Musa Guza, said, “I was in Kaduna as State Chairman of PRP to participate at the party retreat and also obtained forms for my people who were contesting various offices in Kano and who paid for them but I was told that somebody had purchased all the forms”.

Musa Guza added, “When I pressed hard to know who the person was, the national secretary of our party told me that it was Kwankwaso and I asked why, they said we are in talks with him for his possible defections to our party”.

According to him, after days without any sign of Kwankwaso defecting to the PRP, it became apparent that he may have been engaged in a mischievous mission against the party, as one cannot belong to another party while holding another party’s forms.

The party chairman further alleged, “We don’t know his missions, that is why we are telling every  listening ears the situation”.

The PRP leader expressed concern that hundreds of aspirants seeking to contest under the party are now left in confusion, uncertain about their political fate.

“That is why we are taking legal actions against him should he refuse to surrender our forms before INEC closes time for submission of contestants’ names to their office,” he said.

“It is not only our party that is suffering this negative fate. Other parties are facing the same problems as us”, he added.