Don’t Be Intimidated By Threats, Aregbesola Charges Electorates
●Urges Them To Vote For ADC For Continuity Of His Laudable Programmes
Michael Bamigbola
FORMER Governor of Osun State and Naonal Secretary of the African Democra c Congress (ADC), Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has charged electorates in the state not to be in midated by threats of violence ahead of the August 15 gorvernorship elec on
in the state but be ready to vote massively for the ADC. He urged all eligible voters in the state to troop out massively and vote for the governorship candidate of the ADC, Dr Najeem Folasayo Salaam come August 15.
This is even as the former Governor encouraged the people to dis-
countenance the threat of violence, but be resolute to exercise their lawful duty as ci zens of the state during the elec on.
Aregbesola who spoke at the governorship campaign rally of the ADC in Iwo assured that Salaam will con nue with all the laudable projects and programmes he ini ated and implemented while
in office as the Governor of the strate from 20102018.
He said Salaam who was a former Speaker of the state House of Assembly will not dissapoint the people or jeopardize the confidence reposed in him but con nue with all his (Aregbesola) vision and programmes.
Aregbesola declared
that “a vote for Najeem Folasayo Salaam (Iwaloye) is a vote for the con nuity of all the good programmes that the Lord gave us the helped us to do when in government.”
He recounted that “God helped our government to ini ate and implement many projects when we’re in office. The O’meal, O’YES, O’widow
and many other programmes were part of what God helped us to do. The payment of WAEC and NECO fees ended the moment we le government.’
“Government is beyond construc on of roads and bridges. We thank God because we constructed good roads and to the glory of God there’s no single village that didn’t feel our presence when we’re in government. All the communi es felt our impacts because we took development to all the nooks and crannies of the state,” he added.
The ADC leader assured that the administra on of Salaam will con nue from where he stopped, if given the opportunity, and therefore called on the people of the state to vote for the ADC in the forthcoming governorship elec on. He warned prospecve voters not to sell their conscience by selling their votes on elec on day, saying that the development the state should be considered a above any perishable gi that may be offered to them before and during the elec on.
Speaking, the ADC governorship candidate, Dr Salaam assured the people of efficient service and proper delivery of all his manifesto if elected the Governor of the state.
He expressed his readiness to transform the state through different people oriented programmes and therefore solicited for the support of all the people of the state.
•Mamoth crowd of ADC members and supporters at the governorship campaign rally of the party held in Iwo yesterday. Inset: Osun ADC chairman, Alhaji Issa Adesiji, Governorship candidate of the party, Rt. Hon. Najeem Folasayo Salaam (Ph.D), National Secretary of the party, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and Deputy Governorship candidate of the party, Mrs. Temitope Agiri at the campaign rally
TUESDAY, AUGUST 04, 2026
South-West ADC Throws Weight Behind Aregbesola, Rejects Removal Petition
THE South-West leadership of the African Democra c Congress has declared full support for the Na onal Secretary
Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola and dismissed calls for his removal as baseless.
In a statement issued on Monday a er a meeting of senior zonal officials, the Na onal Vice Chairman
(South-West ) of the party, Akinbowale Omole said the pe on addressed to the party’s Na onal Chairman, Senator David Mark did not come from the party’s recognised leaders
in the zone.
The mee ng was attended by key zonal and na onal officers including Capt. Olatunji Shelle, Na onal Director of Communica on and Strategy,
Encomium As Yusuf Oketola Bows Out Of Osun Defender Newspaper In Grand Style
THE atmosphere at Oṣun Defender Newspaper was one of joy, gra tude and nostalgia as Directors, Management and Staff of Moremi Publishing House Limited gathered to celebrate _Yusuf Oketola_, who bowed out of the organiza on in grand style as News Editor.
The send-forth ceremony, held at the company’s premises in Osogbo, was organized to honor Oketola for his years of dedicated service and commitment to journalism.
Represen ng the Board of Directors at the event was Media Guru and CPS to Former Governor of Osun State, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Mr. Sola Fasure.
Speaking at the occasion, Prince Kanmi Ademiluyi, CEO of Moremi Publishing House Limited, showered Oketola with praises.
He described him as a reporter who rose through the ranks by merit.
“Yusuf rose to the posi on of News Editor by hardworking, diligence and total commitment to the pen profession,” Ademiluyi said.
In his remarks, Mr. Sola Fasure charged Oketola to remain steadfast in all his doings. He urged him to uphold the same values of integrity, truth and professionalism that dis nguished him at Oṣun Defender.
The Editor of Oṣun Defender, Michael Bamigbola also tes fied to Oketo-
la’s commitment to duty.
He stated that “I had known Yusuf before I knew him,” he said.
He charged him to “keep the kite flying” and prayed for con nuous progress in his career.
In his remarks, the newspaper’s Photo Editor, Shola Aderinto, recounted Oketola’s journey with the organiza on.
“Yusuf did his SIWES, Industrial A achment and his one year NYSC in this organiza on. I wasn’t surprised we are showering ecomium on him today.
Ever since he stepped in as a SIWES student, he has shown dedica on, loyalty and love for the pen profession,” Aderinto said.
Aderinto added that Oketola was always eager to learn and made himself available at all mes. “He loves this job and he always wants to know more,” he noted.
The newspaper’s Produc on Supervisor, Pet. Kola Ibitowa and the Graphics Designer, Zainab Olalere also acknowledged Oketola’s selfless services.
They said Oketola was always ready to assist in solving issues within the newsroom and producon department.
The event featured special prayers for Oketola’s success, followed by the presenta on of gi s. A major highlight was a framed replica of the Oṣun Defender front page bearing Oketola’s image, presented by Management on behalf of the company.
In his apprecia on
speech, Oketola expressed deep gra tude. “I am deeply honoured and sincerely grateful for the wonderful send-off organised in my honour. Serving alongside such dedicated and talented colleagues has been one of the most rewarding chapters of my career,” he said.
“As I move on to a new chapter a er my resignaon, I do so with immense gra tude for the opportuni es, experiences, and friendships I gained here. I wish the organisa on con nued success,” he added.
Zonal Organising Secretary Mrs Omolara Oseni, Deputy Na onal Financial Secretary Hon. Oladimeji Fabiyi, Deputy Na onal Woman Leader Alhaja Kafila Olayiwola, Zonal Woman Leader Mrs Lydia Olafunmiloye, and Dr Bode Ojerinde.
Omole described the pe oners as individuals loyal to Kachikwu Ibe and Leke Abejide, both of whom recently lost a legal challenge at the Court of Appeal.
He said they had previously sued the party despite several reconcilia on efforts.
“The ADC in the SouthWest knows its leaders and definitely not those who issued the false and disparaging statement
“They have followed the wrong path and have burnt their fingers.
“ Under the ADC cons tu on, the Na onal Secretary carries out decisions made by the party’s highest organs. He does not unilaterally approve candidates,”the statement added.
They stressed that the NEC, not the Na onal Secretary, approved the South-West candidates for the 2027 elec ons before names were sent to INEC, adding that the forma on of primary elec on commi ees and management of primaries are also NEC responsibili es.
The ADC leaders further accused the pe oners of being the ones who violated party rules during congresses and primaries and said their current move reflects frustra on a er failing to destabilise the party from within.
Also they reaffirmed that Omole remains the recognised South-West zonal leader of the party and urged those claiming otherwise to stop, warning that con nued impersona on would force the party to release details of mee ngs held with groups opposed to Senator Mark and Aregbesola.
“We will not submit the affairs of this party to rascals,” the statement concluded.
INEC Publishes Omoaje’s Name As Action Alliance Presidential Candidate
AOsun Guber: Group Unveils Situation Room To Prevent Misinformation
AN independent factchecking and media literacy organisa on, FactCheck Africa, has inaugurated the TruthGuard Elec on Integrity and Misinforma on Situa on Room to monitor and counter misinforma on, disinforma on and other forms of informa on disorder ahead of the August 15, 2026, Osun State governorship elec on.
Speaking on the ini ave on Friday, the Founder of FactCheck Africa, Olasupo Abideen, said the situa on room was established in response to rising poli cal tension and growing security concerns in the state, stressing that protec ng elec ons now extends beyond securing polling units to safeguarding the informa on ecosystem.
According to him, the inia ve is designed to protect the integrity of the electoral informa on space through real- me monitoring, independent fact-checking and rapid responses to false claims, hate speech, malinforma on and technologyfacilitated gender-based violence before, during and a er the elec on.
“The integrity of an elecon is inseparable from the
integrity of the informa on that shapes public opinion. Elec ons are now contested not only at polling units but also across digital pla orms where false narra ves, manipulated content and AIgenerated media can spread rapidly and erode public trust,” Abideen said.
He disclosed that the Na onal Peace Commi ee, through The Kukah Centre’s Elec on Security Informa on Hub, had iden fied 15 local government areas in Osun State as cri cal, high- and moderate-risk areas for elecon-related violence due to poli cal tensions, ins tu onal disputes, electoral offences and informa on disorder.
Abideen noted that attacks on poli cal gatherings, shoo ngs in parts of the state and assaults on elec on officials during the distribu on of Permanent Voter Cards had heightened concerns about the security environment ahead of the poll.
He also warned that advances in genera ve ar ficial intelligence had made it easier to circulate deepfakes, cloned audio recordings, manipulated images and recycled videos capable of misleading voters, inflaming tensions and undermining
confidence in the electoral process.
According to him, the TruthGuard Situa on Room will serve as a real- me monitoring and rapid-response hub, bringing together factcheckers, digital inves gators, journalists, researchers, data analysts and gender experts to iden fy emerging narra ves, verify claims and provide accurate elec onrelated informa on.
He said the organisa on would ac vely expose misinforma on, recycled videos, deep fakes and coordinated disinforma on campaigns before they influence public percep on.
Abideen added that the ini a ve would also focus on protec ng women, journalists, elec on officials and other democra c stakeholders from technology-facilitated abuse and coordinated online a acks.
“We are equally committed to protec ng women, journalists, elec on officials and other democra c actors from technology-facilitated abuse and coordinated online a acks. An informed electorate remains the strongest defence against misinformaon, violence and electoral manipula on,” he said.
pendent Na onal Electoral Commission (INEC) on Saturday published the name of Aare Adekunle Rufai Omoaje as the Presiden al candidate of the Ac on Alliance (AA).
The commission in a published documents containing the list of all the presiden al candidates and their running mates indicated the name of Omoaje as the contestant for the presiden al elec on under the pla orm of the AA.
Omoaje’s name appears with the names of presiden al candidates of other poli cal par es including President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The ac on of INEC was in line with the electoral acts which s pulates that names of candidates be released before the conduct of the elec on.
Omoaje while commenting on the development said he’s fully prepared for the elec on, just as he lauded the electoral body for the painstaking efforts made preparatory to the elec on.
He reiterated the commitment of the Ac on Alliance to a united and secured na on, saying he’s prepared to made a meaningful difference in government.
The AA presiden al hopeful expressed confidence in the ability of the Prof Joash Amupitan led INEC to organize a free, fair and credible general elecon come January, next year.
•2nd left: Executive Director, Moremi Publishing House, Prince Kanmi Ademiluyi, member, Board of Directors of the Comapny Mr. Sola Fasure, former news Editor, Osun Defender Newspaper, Yusuf Oketola and others at the send forth programme organised in honour of Oketola last Friday
Shola Aderinto
Shola Aderinto
HEAD of the next year’s presiden al elec on, the Inde-
Israel Oladele
Michael Bamigbola
WHATEVER the machinations that appear to be going within the South West wing of the African Democra c Congress (ADC) are clearly contrived.
In this “new poli cs,” we have the reign of fi h columnists and the polics of infiltra on in full swing. This game of charade is currently being played out in the South West ADC. It will fail, because the public has ancipated it and can see right through it.
This is because the subject of the a ack, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola remains a pivotal figure. His con nuing relevance confirms the need to always bear in mind “The Law of Constant Reminders.”
In his trea se, Niccolò Machiavelli, a foremost poli cal philosopher of the polity, warned about the need for the constant repe on of the past. Posi ve achievements have to be highlighted and repeated. Otherwise, a fickle-minded audience might forget. This law is both a forewarning and a guide.
In every role assigned to him, Ogbeni Aregbesola has been a pathbreaker in a posi ve, progressive direc on. As a sworn democrat, he has endearingly been at the forefront of providing an Alterna ve Prospectus to a dominant neo-conserva ve posi on that had hitherto acted as a brake on progress. This must be constantly stated, for it Without the interven on of people like Aregbesola,who swarm against a prevalent ght of an -People thinking and poli cs the dysfuncon will have been even more distor ve.
As Governor of Osun State, his eight years in the saddle were exhilara ng and will always
The Law Of Constant Reminders
•The Symbol of Progressive Intervention presenting a realistic alternative to the present anti-people policies
serve as a benchmark by which successive administra ons are judged.
Like the progressives before him, Aregbesola showed that the Machinery of the State should be the engine of mobiliza on for sustainable development and the upliment of the people.
The various ini a ves that arose from his programs have stood the test of me. They show that the construc ve use of the machinery of the State can have beneficial impact in a soci-
ety where capital formaon is weak. The issue of the posi ve of Capital
“This is why a victory for Najeem Salaam is so important in the August 15, 2026 Governorship election. Such a victory will mark “the passing of the torch” of progressive state intervention, and will also revive an edifying past that can be used to counteract today’s mass feelings of hopelessness”
(Funds) is a major stumbling block to any real a empt to breakout of underdevelopment and poverty. The State must be a mobilizer of funding as it is the only mechanism available to provide-term “ Pa ent” Capital needed. The current instrument of financing are too weak our underdeveloped stage to do the job. The State must therefore build up development finance to carry tasks. The programs ini ated by Aregbesola should have been connued, and must now be revived.
This is why a victory for Najeem Salaam is so important in the August 15, 2026 Governorship elec on. Such a victory will mark “the passing of the torch” of progressive state interven on, and will also revive an edifying past that can be used to counteract today’s mass feelings of hopelessness. Failure to do so will not help the consolida on of our democracy and democra c ideals in our society.
Telephone : 0809-301-9152 Website : www.osundefender.com/index.php e-mail : osundefenderhq@gmail.com osundefenderbank@gmail.com All correspondence to the above email addresses.
The contrived a acks on Ogbeni Aregbesola are part of a conserva ve plot against the revival of progressive polics, and it must fail.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 04, 2026
4 Reminiscences Of Government Unusual Unusual
From November 2010 to November 2018 when Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola held sway as Governor of Osun State, various laudable projects were executed accross all sectors. The projects spread accross all the 30 Local Government Areas of the State and Ife East Area Office. Below are some of the projects initiated and executed during Ogbeni Aregbesola’s eight years tenure.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 04, 2026
Reminiscences Of Government Unusual
TUESDAY, AUGUST 04, 2026
Reminiscences Of Government Unusual Unusual
Photo Splash
TUESDAY, AUGUST 04, 2026 VOL. 21 NO 61 www.osundefender.com, email: osundefenderbank@gmail.com
IT is very obvious that the off-cycle Governorship elec on in Osun State has reached a, feverish stage. With the elec on only two weeks from now everything is being done by stakeholders to ensure that all hands are on deck to bring confidence and a measure of fairness and credibility to the exercise of vo ng.
On Saturday 15th August, Osun, the State of the Living Spring will become the cynosure of all eyes in Nigeria as over 2,million registered voters out of the nearly 6 million people of the State will go to the polls to decide who takes over the mantle of leading the next administra on of the state to come a er the current dispensa on ends its tenure on the 26th of November.
As we know, our state is cons tuonally set to have a new administraon come on board on inaugura on day on the 27th of November 2026. All said and done, some four months separate us now from that glorious day.
It is not for nothing therefore, that the poli cal space of our state, appears charged and a li le bit vola le. The reason is because of the in midaons and the violence we both hear and see almost regularly in recent weeks.
The good news is that three events happened in rapid succession in this out-going week that have each called for calm and the rejec on of violence as the usually gentle and violence-free state gets ready to go to the polls.
The first event was the Town Hall mee ng which took place on Sunday 26th of July. Civil Society Network on Elec on Integrity, in associa on with the Kuka Centre invited stakeholders in the forth coming elec on to discuss together what all of us could do to allow democracy gain a be er foo ng in this country. All we must do is to ensure a free, fair, peaceful and credible elec on as the 15th of August fast approaches.
Tradi onal Rulers, INEC staff, Security Opera ves, the Media, Civil Society Organiza ons, poli cal par es and the electorate among others gathered at Adolak Events Centre for a 3-hour Town Hall mee ng. Many different issues were discussed at the mee ng.
“The Press release the Obas issued after that meeting showed their concern and dislike for our politicians having chosen the path of violence in contesting the forth coming Gubernatorial Election. They condemned this in very strong terms and advised all stakeholders to ensure peace reigns supreme in the coming election on 15th of August”
SMOLETTE ADETOYESE SHITTU-ALAMU
Getting Ready For 15th August
The technology being used in the elec on, sta s cal figures of how many contestants there are in the exercise, vo ng strength of each Local Government Area and also that of the three Senatorial Districts.
At the mee ng which this writer had the opportunity to have been invited to a end, we got to know INEC the Electoral Umpire would be deploying 17,500 adhoc staff to conduct the Governorship elec on and that they were already in agreement with the Road Transport Unions to officially move elec on materials to polling units across the state.
On Tuesday, 11th of August, all such vehicles to be used by INEC would report for technical assessment of each by INEC officially hired technicians and mechanics to a est their road worthiness.
Whichever of the vehicles does not meet the assessment test, would have Wednesday and Thursday next week to make their vehicles road worthy before D-day. This appears a signed and sealed aggrement only wai ng to be delivered.
The State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs Toyin Babalola gave the gathering this important informaon. A endees at the Town Hall meeting which held in Osogbo got to know that vo ng strength in this elec on is with the youths. The reason?
They took the exercise very seriously and so registered more!
Another understanding got at the Town Hall mee ng was that security officials would put in their best to checkmate every form of violence and that women would especially be protected from violence.
We also got the charge that polical par es and the electorate should encourage generally ci zens par cipa on in the elec on and that we must all resist and also discourage vote buying and selling, avoid from now, all forms of hate speech, deliberate disinforma on and anything that could create confusion and lead to violence.
The Media n ko? It was advised to be cau ous of fake news and verify all informa on at their disposal before publishing.
The Town Hall mee ng gave us this understanding: Poli cal par es especially their leaders must respect electoral officers and the adhoc staff INEC has appointed to conduct the elecon. Voters must equally respect and obey the rules governing the conduct
of the elec on.
They must ensure decorum, vote peacefully, protect their votes as the case may be and verify any informaon they have before sharing. We all must maintain peace, is one major take away all of us had from the Town Hall mee ng.
The Second event was the formal presenta on of a book en tled WINNING FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS IN NIGERIA. It took place on Tuesday, 28th of July.
The 3-man team of writers of the book was led by Dr Jimoh Akanni Agboola, an octogenarian Elec on Consultant who served the Independent Na onal Electoral Commission(INEC) for about three decades before re ring, about 20 years ago.
Dr.Agboola remains one of the few authori es in the conduct and managing of elec on in Nigeria today. As Team Lead of the writers, he spoke to the audience that gathered at the NUJ in strong terms that violence does not win an elec on.
Rather, following the rules of the game does. He told his audience that elec on is a game you win or loose. Whichever comes your way in the end you accept it. You could also reject it but only at the law court.
Poli cians of both divide were at the book presenta on. Dr Agboola drew their a en on to the “Pound of Flesh” theory in the Electoral Process. This wins elec ons more than violence and electoral manipula ons.
The electoral consultant, teacher and trainer told the large crowd that gathered at the NUJ Press Centre on Tuesday that the poli cian who must win in an elec on should first teach the people how to fish rather than give them fish to eat. Deliberate and inten onal empowering of the people to be on their own instead of they relying on the good will of the boss is very necessary a path to ply to succeed.
The good will message of INEC Chairman to the book presenta on event was delivered at the event by Mr.Akeem Olusegun, the representave of Mrs Toyin Babalola, Osun INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner. It was a message that spoke to elec on being very difficult to rig now in Nigeria than before and stressed the need for a peaceful atmosphere.
The book, Winning, Free and Fair Elec ons in Nigeria could not have come at a be er me than now.
The 3rd event, happened on
Wednesday 29th July. It had Prof. Joash Amupitan the INEC Chairman and his Na onal Commissioners coming down from Abuja to Osogbo to address stakeholders, which included Tradi onal Rulers in Osun State led by their Permanent Chairman, Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II.
The Press release the Obas issued a er that mee ng showed their concern and dislike for our poli cians having chosen the path of violence in contes ng the forth coming Gubernatorial Elec on. They condemned this in very strong terms and advised all stakeholders to ensure peace reigns supreme in the coming elec on on 15th of August.
Our belief is that these 3 separate events that came one a er the other this week in Osogbo, should help to make the poli cal class on both ends, sit up and forgo the path of violence they have toed over the recent past in the conduct of elec oneering so far.
As the people of Osun State look forward to the 15th of August we request that they do so with a hope and a confidence that all will be well. But then all can never be well if we don’t take inten onal ac ons to make things work well.
As we end this write up we would like to go biblical. Two passages in the New Testament of the Bible come to mind. The first is the content of James Chapter 1 verses 12 to 16. But I will pick on verse 14 which reads thus: “But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and enced”.
The Second quote is from 1 Thessalonians 5:22. That scripture reads “Abstain from all appearance of evil.” This is very instruc onal. We think poli cians must learn to do that. So must be the electorate and cizens in general. In fact ci zens who are not registered as voters must equally imbibe the essence in the content of these two scriptures.
As we look forward to the elecon on 15th of August, let us collecvely remember this fact that people who elect corrupt poli cians, impose traitors and vote thieves into office are not vic ms of the situa on or circumstance: they are accomplices. This is what the people who pride themselves as Omoluabi must avoid and reject completely.
Plato, the great student of Socrates,who is the first of the all me great trio of Europe’s ancient philosophers stated this centuries ago when he wrote: “One of the penal es for refusing to par cipate in poli cs is that you end up being governed by your inferiors”.
Now we can ask: Is that what we want for our 35 years old Osun State? Certainly not. Let us therefore, in unison march to the 15th of August 2026 with a confidence and a hope that is both posi ve and glorious and can grant us a free fair credible and violence free elec on in which our votes will count and only the ballot box will decide for us who is our Governor and not the court of law.
OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing House Limited, Behind Oranmiyan Building, Gbodofon, Off Gbongan Road, Osogbo, Osun State. All correspondence to the Deputy Editor, MICHAEL BAMIGBOLA, Telephone: 0809-301-9152. ISSN: 0794-8050. Website: www.osundefender.com Email: osundefenderbank@gmail.com, osundefenderhq@gmail.com