Chairman of the Accord Party (AP), Osun State chapter, Victor Babalola Akande, and the lawmaker representing Ila/Ifedayo/Boluwaduro Constituency in the House of Representatives, Clement Akanni Olohunwa, yesterday, faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) risk assessment report that identified 385 flashpoints in the state.

The duo, in a joint statement in Osogbo, the state capital, described the report as “a hatchet job” for a sinister electoral agenda, urging the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Oluwatoyin Babalola, to review the veracity of the report in the interest of transparency and fairness.

They, however, decried the report, vowing to engage the Commission on the details and the antecedents of the consultant who handled the preparation of the risk assessment.

Olohunwa, who disputed the inclusion of his constituency in the risk assessment report, contended that “Ila and Ifedayo local councils are not hotspots for kidnappings, hence the classification of the councils as hotspots for kidnapping is unfounded.

Similarly, Akande described the report as a ploy to disenfranchise Osun State voters in targeted communities.

HOWEVER, Chairman, Civil Society Matters of the IMOLE Campaign Council, Funmiso Babarinde, yesterday, charged INEC to match its preparations ahead of the August 15, 2026 governorship election in Osun State with transparency regarding the umpire’s identification of 385 flashpoints and over 200 difficult terrains in the state.

Babarinde, who spoke during a stakeholders’ meeting in Osogbo, the state capital, noted that INEC’s early risk assessment report reflects a commendable commitment to ensuring a peaceful, credible and well-coordinated electoral process.

He, however, stressed that “identifying potential challenges must be complemented by greater transparency on the veracity of the reports on 385 flashpoints and timely engagement with relevant stakeholders.”

Babarinde urged the INEC to publicly identify, where security considerations permit, the local councils and communities designated as flashpoints and difficult terrains.

He also called on the Commission to immediately announce the commencement and deadline for the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), and implored eligible voters to collect their cards well ahead of the election to avoid disenfranchisement.