OSOGBO — Political tension is mounting in Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship election following the arrest and subsequent release of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Mr. Teslim Igbalaye, over alleged vote-buying offences.
Igbalaye was detained by operatives of the Osun State Police Command alongside five other suspects after a raid on his private residence in Osogbo. According to the police, the operation led to the recovery of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), cash, and a voters’ register, all of which are now central to an ongoing investigation.
Confirming the development, the spokesperson for the Osun State Police Command, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, said the SSG had been released while investigations continue.
“I can only tell you that the SSG, Mr. Teslim Igbalaye, has been released this afternoon, and investigation is still ongoing,” Ojelabi said.
The police also identified the other suspects arrested during the operation as Abiodun Arowomole, popularly known as “Ashipa,” who was described as a wanted murder suspect on the command’s watch list, alongside Taiwo Akande, Lukman Adeyemo, Muftau Olaoye, and Musiliu Aderemi.
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Although Governor Ademola Adeleke did not directly comment on the arrest of his aide, he issued a strongly worded statement expressing confidence that the people of Osun would resist intimidation and freely determine the outcome of the forthcoming governorship election.
The governor maintained that no amount of external interference or political pressure would suppress the will of the electorate, insisting that his administration’s performance would earn it another mandate.
“Throughout the history of Osun State, our people have never bowed to intimidation. We are resilient, determined, and fiercely protective of our rights,” Adeleke said.
He added that his administration’s achievements in infrastructure, education, healthcare, workers’ welfare, and pension reforms have positioned the state for greater development, expressing optimism that a second term would consolidate the gains already recorded.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Campaign Council has called for the immediate resignation or removal of the SSG, accusing him of harbouring wanted criminals.
Speaking on behalf of the council, Chairman of its Media Committee, Remi Omowaye, urged Governor Adeleke to allow all suspects found at the SSG’s residence to face proper police investigation.
The APC further alleged that the governor was mounting pressure on security agencies to secure the release of some of the suspects, including Abiodun Arowomole, whom the party described as a notorious criminal wanted for multiple murder cases in the state.
The opposition party maintained that anyone found shielding criminal suspects should also be held accountable under the law.
In a related development, the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Mr. Adewale Egbedun, alleged that the police were plotting to implicate and arrest him ahead of the governorship election.
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Reacting to the arrest of the SSG, Egbedun described the action as an abuse of power and claimed he had received intelligence over the past two weeks suggesting that some police officers were strategising to frame him.
According to the Speaker, his relationship with the state Commissioner of Police became strained after he challenged an alleged plan by political thugs to attack his residence.
As political activities intensify ahead of the August 15 governorship election, the latest developments have further heightened tensions in Osun State, with the police maintaining that investigations into the alleged vote-buying case remain ongoing.
No formal charges have been announced against the SSG or the other suspects at the time of filing this report.
