The Osun State Government has called for the immediate release of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), questioning the legality of his detention following a police raid on his residence and warning against actions that could undermine public confidence ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
Addressing a press conference in Osogbo on Thursday, the Osun State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwole Jimi-Bada (SAN), said the government was not opposed to lawful investigations or the prosecution of anyone found to have committed an offence, but insisted that law enforcement agencies must operate within the confines of the Constitution.
According to him, the SSG was not at home when police officers reportedly raided his residence on July 29, 2026, and arrested several persons. He explained that after learning of the arrests, the SSG voluntarily reported to the Force Headquarters to assist investigators and seek administrative bail for those detained, only to be detained himself.
Jimi-Bada described the development as troubling, arguing that a citizen who willingly cooperates with law enforcement should not be turned into a detainee without clear and credible legal grounds.
The Attorney-General said information available to the state government indicated that members of the Accord Party were at the residence to coordinate lawful party logistics ahead of the governorship election, including mobilisation, transportation, feeding and communication.
He stressed that the election was still over two weeks away and that no voting or electoral process was taking place on July 29, making allegations of vote-buying premature unless backed by concrete evidence.
While acknowledging that electoral laws prohibit voter inducement and bribery, he maintained that such allegations must be supported by admissible evidence, including proof that voters were offered money in exchange for their votes.
Jimi-Bada further dismissed suggestions that the mere possession of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) or printed copies of the voters’ register constituted criminal conduct, noting that political parties are entitled to possess voters’ registers lawfully released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for legitimate campaign planning and mobilisation.
He challenged the police to disclose any evidence showing unlawful possession of PVCs, identify any voter allegedly induced with money, or present any statements, video recordings or marked cash supporting claims of vote-buying.
The Attorney-General also rejected reports linking the SSG to another suspect allegedly wanted by the police, insisting that criminal liability is personal and cannot be transferred through association.
According to him, the presence of an individual wanted for a previous offence at the SSG’s residence does not automatically make the public official a suspect, especially when he was not present during the raid.
He raised several questions over the operation, including why the SSG was detained after voluntarily presenting himself to the police, why allegations of vote-buying were being made weeks before the election, and why possession of election materials already released by INEC was being portrayed as evidence of criminality.
Jimi-Bada warned that security agencies must conduct themselves in a transparent, professional and non-partisan manner as the state prepares for the governorship election, saying any perception of bias could undermine confidence in the electoral process.
He reaffirmed that the Osun State Government would not tolerate violence, electoral malpractice or voter inducement by any individual or political party, but insisted that investigations and prosecutions must be based on due process rather than speculation or selective enforcement.
The Attorney-General called on the Inspector-General of Police to review the circumstances surrounding the incident, ensure the Nigeria Police Force is not perceived as partisan, and release the SSG unless there is credible evidence directly linking him to a specific offence.
He also urged the police to either release those arrested during the raid or arraign them before a court within the constitutional time limit, while calling for clarification on the alleged PVCs and voters’ register recovered during the operation.
Jimi-Bada appealed to INEC, the Nigerian Bar Association, the National Human Rights Commission, civil society organisations and election observers to closely monitor the conduct of security agencies in the run-up to the August 15 governorship election.
He urged residents of Osun State to remain peaceful and law-abiding, expressing confidence that the election should be decided solely by the votes of the people rather than intimidation, selective arrests or partisan actions.
