Osun Governorship Poll: Accord Party, APC Clash Over Alleged Server Hacking Plot

Ahead of the August 15 governorship election in Osun State, political tension has escalated as the Accord Party and the All Progressives Congress (APC) traded heated accusations regarding an alleged attempt to compromise the electoral system.

In a statement signed by its State Chairman, Victor Akande, the Accord Party accused the APC leadership of bringing election result hackers into Osogbo, the state capital. According to the party, operatives were imported from Lagos and Abuja and lodged at a local hotel to target and compromise the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) digital server. Akande stated that the alleged plot was aimed at imputing fake election results into the INEC server to alter the outcome of the upcoming poll.

The Accord Party urged security agencies to raid the suspected operational center to halt any anti-democratic activities, while also charging INEC to fortify its ICT infrastructure and digital security ahead of the vote.

In response, the Osun State APC spokesperson, Kola Olabisi, vehemently rejected the accusations, describing them as false, baseless, and a figment of the Accord Party’s imagination. Olabisi attributed the allegations to the opposition’s anxiety over an impending defeat at the polls, emphasizing that the APC does not need electoral fraud to secure victory for its candidate. He further challenged the Accord Party to present their evidence to the police rather than making unsubstantiated claims to the public.

While INEC has cleared 14 political parties to participate in the upcoming election, the contest is largely seen as a two-way race between the Accord Party, which is fielding incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke, and the APC, led by its candidate Bola Oyebamiji, the former Chief Executive Officer of the National Inland Waterways Authority. With election day fast approaching, both parties continue to mobilize voters while pressure mounts on security agencies to ensure a secure electoral process.