Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has alleged that members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are engaged in the illegal purchase of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and the collection of voters’ card Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) ahead of the August 15, 2026 governorship election, urging voters not to fall for the alleged scheme.

In a statement yesterday by his Spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, the governor described the alleged operation as anti-democratic, aimed at disenfranchising eligible voters by compromising the voters’ register and manipulating the outcome of the polls.

Adeleke said his administration had received reports from across the state’s 30 local councils and the Area Office alleging that APC agents were offering money to persuade voters to surrender their PVCs or disclose the PINs linked to the cards.

He further alleged that the operation was concentrated in local councils where the Accord Party (AP) enjoys significant support, claiming that the objective was to alter voters’ registration details and prevent them from casting their ballots on election day.

The governor also alleged that in some areas, voters were being asked to swear oaths before receiving money in exchange for their card details or photocopies of their PVCs, describing the practice as a violation of the Electoral Act.

Adeleke, therefore, called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to investigate the allegations, claiming there were reports of insider collusion in the alleged operation.

He said any attempt to use voters’ card PINs to manipulate the electoral process should be treated as a serious concern.

MEANWHILE, INEC has urged journalists and media organisations to verify every election-related claim before publication, describing disinformation and misinformation as major threats to the credibility of the governorship election.

Osun Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Oluwatoyin Babalola, gave the charge, yesterday, during a dialogue and interactive forum with journalists and critical stakeholders, organised by the International Press Centre (IPC), under the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria Phase II (EU-SDGN II) programme in Osogbo.

Babalola, who spoke on the theme, “INEC’s Preparations, the Media’s Role in Voter Education and Countering Electoral Disinformation and Misinformation Ahead of the 2026 Osun State Governorship Election,” said false information could create unnecessary panic, suppress voters’ turnout, damage public confidence and trigger avoidable tensions.

She, therefore, urged journalists to remain vigilant by verifying election-related claims, relying on official information from INEC and other authorised institutions, promptly correcting inaccurate reports and working with fact-checking organisations to debunk false narratives.

Babalola, however, described the media as an indispensable partner in the electoral process, saying that a well-informed electorate remained fundamental to the success of any democratic election.

HOWEVER, the governorship candidate of the APC in the state, Bola Oyebamiji, yesterday, said that traders in the state would not be abandoned after winning the election.

He promised that traders, irrespective of ethnic, religious and political inclinations, would be actively involved in his administration.

Oyebamiji, who gave the promise at Sabo market in Osogbo, donated a sum of N10 million to boost commercial activities of the traders.

He urged eligible traders not to sell their PVCs, saying that such development amounts to mortgaging their future for peanuts.