Police Deny Poor Welfare Conditions for Osun Election Officers

The Nigeria Police Force has dismissed reports alleging that hundreds of personnel deployed to Osun State for the August 15, 2026 governorship election have remained in the state for weeks without adequate food and basic welfare provisions.

Force Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters, Abuja, CSP Ani Iniedu, said in a statement on Friday that the continued deployment was part of established post-election security procedures aimed at preventing violence, addressing emerging threats and ensuring a smooth transition to normal policing.

The clarification followed media reports claiming that officers drawn from about 50 Police Mobile Force squadrons were still stationed in Osun, with some allegedly living under difficult conditions and receiving inadequate welfare. The police, however, rejected the claims, insisting that all personnel had received their approved entitlements and that their welfare remained the responsibility of their respective command structures.

According to the Force, the duration of the deployment is determined by operational and security requirements. It warned that portraying the exercise as institutional neglect could undermine personnel morale and public confidence, while urging media organisations to verify reports, especially those based on unnamed sources, before publication.

The August 15 election was won by incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party, who secured 511,067 votes against 444,815 polled by the All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Oyebamiji. Adeleke won in 19 local government areas, while Oyebamiji secured 11.