Osun Election: Suspected Policemen Allegedly Cart Away Voting Materials in Modakeke
Tension broke out in Modakeke, Ife East Local Government Area of Osun State, on Saturday, August 15, 2026, after men suspected to be police operatives allegedly seized election materials and dispersed voters, party agents and electoral officials during the state’s closely watched governorship election.
The incident occurred at Ward 10, also identified by residents as Modakeke Ward 3, at a Registration Area Centre (RAC) where officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other personnel had assembled to organise the movement of voting materials to polling units. According to eyewitnesses, the area had remained calm before the arrival of the suspected officers.
Witnesses said the men, who appeared in police uniform, loaded election materials into a vehicle and later released tear gas, forcing INEC officials, corps members serving as ad hoc staff, and party agents to flee the scene in panic. One eyewitness described the chaos, saying election agents and corps members scattered as soon as the men arrived. A video capturing part of the incident, which circulated widely on social media platforms, showed a woman shouting that the operatives were tear-gassing the crowd.
The development quickly drew reactions from politicians and lawmakers. A member of the House of Representatives representing Ede North/South/Egbedore/Ejigbo Federal Constituency raised the alarm publicly, calling on the Nigeria Police Force to urgently investigate the allegation and confirming that the circulating video was authentic. He urged security authorities to act swiftly to protect the credibility of the electoral process in the state.
Governor Ademola Adeleke, who cast his vote earlier in the day at his polling unit in Ede, also weighed in, accusing the police of aiding thugs to disrupt voting in Modakeke. The governor called for the immediate removal of the Commissioner of Police overseeing the election in Osun State. However, the police commissioner supervising the exercise denied the allegation.
A spokesperson for one of the campaign councils in the race corroborated accounts from residents, alleging that armed operatives fired tear gas at people who had already gathered at the centre and were preparing to move materials to their respective polling units alongside INEC staff. The spokesperson called on the police and other security agencies to investigate the matter and take appropriate action.
Despite the disruption reported at the RAC centre, an INEC official at a nearby polling unit in the same Modakeke area disputed claims of a total breakdown, stating that voting was proceeding normally at that specific location as of mid-morning.
As of the time of filing, the identity and true status of the individuals who allegedly carted away the materials had not been independently verified. The incident has renewed scrutiny of the role of security agencies deployed across Osun State, with observers stressing that while their presence is necessary to maintain order, personnel are expected to remain neutral and avoid interfering with the electoral process. The Osun governorship election features multiple candidates, with the contest widely viewed as one of the most keenly followed political races in the state in recent years.
About the Author
