Osun Election: CSO Rejects Hacking Claim, Threatens Legal Action
By Waliu Adetokun, Osogbo
The Advocate for Citizens’ Justice and Democratic Accountability (ACJDA) has rejected claims that the results of the recently concluded Osun State Governorship Election were hacked to favour Governor Ademola Adeleke.
The organisation described the allegation, reportedly made by the Liberation Movement of Nigeria and Vanguard for Human Rights, as “reckless, unsubstantiated and politically dangerous,” saying it could undermine confidence in the outcome of the election.
In a statement signed by Comrade Mayowa Ogundijo, ACJDA said the claim that the election result declaring Adeleke winner was hacked had not been backed by any “compelling and independently verifiable evidence.”
The group argued that the outcome of the election reflected the votes cast by the people of Osun State, adding that attempts to discredit the result without presenting verifiable evidence could undermine the democratic process.
According to the organisation, the election was conducted amid several allegations of irregularities, including voter intimidation, vote buying, arrests of political actors and other incidents reported in different parts of the state.
It specifically mentioned Odo-Otin, Boripe, Irewole, Ilesa East, parts of the Ife zone and Osogbo, including Olorunda, as areas where such allegations were raised.
Despite the challenges, ACJDA said voters came out to exercise their franchise and defend their votes.
“The result that produced Governor Adeleke as the winner was not the outcome of hacking operations; it was the supremacy of the people’s will,” the organisation said.
ACJDA also rejected suggestions that the election was manipulated at the highest level, arguing that the relevant electoral institutions allowed the process to follow its constitutional course.
The group recalled calls by some political interests for the election to be declared inconclusive, saying such demands did not ultimately change the outcome of the process.
It urged individuals and groups dissatisfied with the election result to seek redress through the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the courts and other constitutionally recognised institutions.
The organisation warned that attempts to delegitimise the election simply because its outcome did not favour certain political interests could create unnecessary tension and weaken confidence in democratic institutions.
ACJDA subsequently warned the two groups to desist from what it described as the circulation of “false, defamatory and inflammatory claims,” or face appropriate legal action.
It also appealed to residents of the state not to be distracted or provoked by what it described as a “jester coalition” allegedly attempting to create controversy after the election.
“Democracy is not a game of propaganda where defeated narratives are resurrected through faceless platforms,” the organisation said, stressing that genuine grievances should be pursued through lawful and constitutional channels.
ACJDA said it would continue to scrutinise public institutions, demand accountability and defend the democratic rights of citizens through lawful means.
“The mandate of the people cannot be hacked by propaganda, and Osun must not be dragged into political chaos because some interests refuse to accept reality,” the statement added.
