THE Osun State 2026 Governorship Election kicks off Saturday morning as voters cast their ballots to elect the next governor for the Southwestern Nigerian state.
Our team of journalists, researchers, fact-checkers, social media monitors, editors, and OSINT experts are on ground at the Nigerian Fact-checkers’ Coalition’s (NFC) Election Situation Rooms to debunk election-related misinformation and disinformation content targeted at causing voter apathy, inciting violence or influencing the outcome of the gubernatorial poll.
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CLAIM 1
CLAIM: An X user, @Boripe_, claimed (archived here) that APC thugs carted away election materials in Ada, Boripe LGA, Osun State.
FINDINGS
The Nigerian Fact-checkers’ Coalition (NFC) contacted the Osun INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Oluwatoyin Babalola, who said she had not received any report of such an incident. We also contacted the state’s Commissioner of Police in charge of election security, Samuel Etaifo, who said there had been no such report.
VERDICT: INCORRECT
SOURCE: Osun INEC REC and Osun CP Election
DATE: 15/08/2026
AUTHOR: Catherine Adeniyi
EDITOR(S): Lois Ugbede & Simbiat Bakare
CLAIM 2
An X user, @abdulmojeed_ola, claimed (archived) that Osun State Governor, Ademola Nurudeen Adeleke, has agreed to collapse his Accord Party structure to support the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Najeem Salam, in today’s gubernatorial election, Saturday, August 15, 2026.
FINDINGS
The ADC, in a statement earlier today on Saturday, August 15, 2026, debunked the claim. It clarified that the party has not collapsed its structure or entered into any arrangement to support Governor Adeleke or the Accord Party. The ADC also added that Adeleke has not collapsed his structure into the party to support Salam.
A check of the Facebook page of Governor Adeleke’s Imole campaign council showed that it has not yet issued a statement regarding the claim. No reputable news organisation has confirmed this claim to be true at the moment.
VERDICT: INCORRECT
SOURCE: ADC Press statement
DATE: 15/08/2026
AUTHOR: Pascal Ibe
EDITOR(S) Bamas Victoria & Simbiat Bakare
CLAIM 3
An X user asserts (archived link) that 146 suspected imported thugs were arrested at an Osun lawmaker’s residence.
FINDINGS
According to media outlets, the voters were reportedly carrying newly issued Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and were said to be camped at the residence of Hon. Abiola Ibrahim, a member of the Osun State House of Assembly representing the Irewole-Isokan Constituency.
According to Punch Newspapers, the Osun State Police Command confirmed the arrest of Hon. Abiola Ibrahim in connection with the incident. They also reported that 146 suspects were arrested.
VERDICT: CORRECT!
SOURCE: Leadership Newspapers, Daily Post, Punch
DATE: 15/08/2026.
AUTHOR: Lademi Aborisade
EDITOR(S) Bamas Victoria & Simbiat Bakare
CLAIM 4
In a post (archived here), @PO_GrassRootM wrote: “Osun APC candidate keeps distributing ₦1,000 notes to voters ahead of the election.” Another user, @NNasarawa1, posted the video (archived here) with the caption: “#RenewedHope How Cash Is Allegedly Being Distributed Ahead of the Osun State Governorship Election.”
FINDINGS
The video, in circulation since August 13, 2026, shows a man wearing an AMBO campaign T-shirt handing N1,000 notes to a group of women. AMBO is the campaign name of Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, the APC governorship candidate.
Punch reported on the same video on August 13, two days before the election, noting that the development came as the APC held a mega rally in Osogbo, the state capital, in support of its governorship candidate.
VERDICT: CORRECT.
SOURCE: Punch Newspapers, Researcher Observation
CLAIM 5
An X user, @mayegun180l5, claimed (archived) that Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, demanded the removal of the Commissioner of Police (CP) for the 2026 governorship election, Samuel Erale, after casting his vote on Saturday, August 15, 2026.
FINDINGS
NFC watched the coverage video of Governor Adeleke speaking after casting his vote but found no instance in which he called for the removal of the CP Election, Osun State, Samuel Erale.
In the video, Adeleke alleged that a police officer identified as “London” from Port Harcourt had been brought into Osun State to cause unrest and disrupt voting, particularly in his hometown, Ede.
The governor called on the Inspector-General of Police and other security agencies to remain vigilant and investigate the allegation.
However, the Osun Government had previously called for the removal of CP Ibrahim Gotan, who was the Commissioner of Police of the Osun State Command before the election.
Premium Times reported that, following concerns raised by the state government and political parties over Gotan’s neutrality, Samuel Erale was deployed to Osun as CP Election ahead of the governorship poll.
VERDICT: INCORRECT
SOURCE: NTA, DailyTrust, TheICIR , Premium Times.
DATE: 15/08/2026
AUTHOR: Pascal Ibe
EDITOR(S) Bamas Victoria & Simbiat Bakare
CLAIM 6
An X user, @DebbySimon69, claimed (archived here) that 17 governors of the All Progressives Congress, 7 ministers, and 30 senators are in Osun to rig the election.
FINDINGS
Media reports indicate that several APC governors and senators arrived in Osun State ahead of Election Day to support the party’s governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, during the final phase of the campaign. Those reported to be in the state include Senate President Godswill Akpabio; Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum, Hope Uzodinma; Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo; Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo and Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, among others.
However, footage from the APC rally held on Thursday, August 13 and media reports do not support the claim that 17 APC governors, seven ministers and 30 senators were in the state to rig the governorship election. The available reports and footage show that the number of political office holders present was significantly lower than the figures claimed and there is no evidence indicating their presence was to rig the election.
VERDICT: UNPROVEN
SOURCES: TVC, Punch newspaper
DATE: August 15, 2026.
AUTHOR: Nurudeen Akewushola
EDITOR(S): LOIS UGBEDE, OPEYEMI KEHINDE, MOTUNRAYO JOEL
CLAIM 7
Several X users have claimed that the APC distributed cash ahead of the Osun State governorship election while sharing the same video.
In a post (archived here), @PO_GrassRootM wrote: “Osun APC candidate keeps distributing ₦1,000 notes to voters ahead of the election.” Another user, @NNasarawa1, posted the video (archived here) with the caption: “#RenewedHope How Cash Is Allegedly Being Distributed Ahead of the Osun State Governorship Election.”
FINDINGS: The video, in circulation since August 13, 2026, shows a man wearing an AMBO campaign T-shirt handing N1,000 notes to a group of women. AMBO is the campaign name of Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, the APC governorship candidate.
Punch reported on the same video on August 13, two days before the election, noting that the development came as the APC held a mega rally in Osogbo, the state capital, in support of its governorship candidate.
VERDICT: CORRECT.
SOURCE: Punch Newspapers, Researcher Observation
DATE: August 15, 2026.
FACT CHECK AUTHOR: Blessing Muonwe
EDITORS: Bamas Victoria & Simbiat Bakare
CLAIM 8
CLAIM: A video circulating on social media shows voters alleging that police officers stormed a Registration Area Centre (RAC) in Modakeke, Ife East LGA, in Osun State, fired tear gas, disrupted the distribution of election materials, and allegedly carted away election materials.
FINDINGS: The Sun, Sahara Reporters and Tell Magazine shared the same video and reported the alleged incident.
A Centre for Journalism, Innovation and Development (CJID) observer, God’s Gift Akowe Hope, deployed to Ife East, confirmed the video was recorded at Urban Day Grammar School, Modakeke, Ife East LGA. However, she said she did not witness the alleged incident when she arrived at the location.
The NFC contacted the Osun State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Abiodun Ojelabi, who said one of the police officers deployed to the centre accidentally discharged tear gas. He added that the officer had been identified and apprehended to explain why he did so. Ojelabi also noted that no election materials were taken away by the police officers at the scene.
VERDICT: PARTLY CORRECT
DATE: August 15, 2026
SOURCES: CJID Observer, Osun Police spokesperson, Abiodun Ojelabi, The Sun, Sahara Reporters and TELL magazine
FACT CHECK AUTHOR: Muktar Balogun
EDITORS: LOIS UGBEDE, OPEYEMI KEHINDE AND MOTUNRAYO JOEL
CLAIM 9
CLAIM: An X user @salawueedris1 claimed (archived here) the police released a video of 33 “imported voters” from Ekiti and Ondo states arrested at Babs Hotel Ede.
FINDINGS:
The Osun State Police Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Ojelabi, told the Nigerian Fact-Checkers’ Coalition that 33 people were arrested in Babs Hotel, Ede: 30 men and three women, for being brought in to vote.
He said they are still being interrogated, and many of them did not know who recruited them. While the Police said they could not confirm if the circulating video is genuine, a reverse image search led to a news report by Leadership newspaper. Leadership, with an image which bears similarities to the video, reported that the police said the suspects were brought in from Ondo State for unlawful electoral activities.
VERDICT: PARTLY CORRECT
SOURCE: Osun PPRO and Leadership Newspaper
DATE: 15/08/2026
FACT CHECK AUTHOR: Catherine Adeniyi
EDITOR(S): Lois Ugbede and Simbiat Bakare
CLAIM 10
Several X users, including @Onsogbu, @RealFikayomi66, and @RajiDraj, shared posts here, here, and here on August 14, 2026, claiming that the police arrested a fake party agent, a fake collation agent, and two election observers in Ila Orangun who were recruited by the Accord Party.
FINDINGS
The posts were shared on Osun Guber election eve, August 14, 2026.
The INEC Manual for Election Officials states that collation officers and election observers are deployed and perform their election-related duties only on election day.
Therefore, the claim that individuals were arrested on election eve “posing as fake collation agents or election observers” raises questions of procedural inconsistency, as these roles would not yet have been operational in the field.
The video attached to the posts shows a crowd, police personnel, and some persons being taken away in vans. However, the location does not appear to be a polling unit or voting centre.
Nothing in the video identifies those arrested as fake collation agents or election observers, nor does it establish any connection between them and Accord Party.
In addition, no credible outlet has reported the incident as of the time of this publication.
VERDICT: Misleading.
SOURCE: INEC electoral guidelines, X pages
DATE: August 15, 2026.
FACT CHECK AUTHOR: Blessing Muonwe
EDITOR(S) Bamas Victoria & Ajibola Amzat
CLAIM 11
On WhatsApp, Nigerians are sharing what they claim is a giveaway opportunity of N100,000 by Afrobeats singer David Adeleke (Davido) amid the ongoing Osun State governorship election, where his uncle, Ademola Adeleke, is seeking re-election.
FINDINGS: Davido was actively involved in Governor Adeleke’s re-election campaign, having been appointed chairman of youth mobilisation for the campaign council and publicly campaigned for his uncle. However, there is no credible evidence that Davido or Governor Adeleke announced a N100,000 cash grant for every Nigerian. The NFC found no record of such on the singer’s verified social media pages.
When checked, the NFC found that the link attached to the claim led to a suspicious website asking for the user’s account number and instructed them to share the link with five WhatsApp groups or 15 people on WhatsApp. According to the NFC, such engagement bait is a common feature of phishing scams targeting vulnerable Nigerians.
Section 121 (1)(a) of Nigeria’s Electoral Act 2022 criminalises the act of offering money or gifts to influence a voter or candidate.
VERDICT: INCORRECT
SOURCES: David Adeleke, FBI.gov website, NFC researcher
DATE: 15 August 2026
AUTHOR: Muktar Balogun
EDITORS: OPEYEMI KEHINDE and MOTUNRAYO JOEL
CLAIM 12
CLAIM: An X user, @SaliuAminu0001, claimed (archived here) that the All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate in Osun State, Bola Oyebamiji, has won the state’s election.
FINDINGS
Recent updates from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) indicate that sorting and counting of votes are ongoing in various polling units across the state. NFC also checked the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal and found that about 2266 results, representing 60.22%, have been uploaded out of 3,763 expected results as at 6:10 PM.
Screenshot of the IReV portal showing that results are still being uploaded.
Vanguard newspaper and Channels TV have also reported that sorting and counting of ballots in the ongoing Osun State gubernatorial election are ongoing.
However, neither INEC nor reputable news outlets have announced the winner of the Osun State election.
VERDICT: INCORRECT
SOURCES: INEC, Vanguard newspaper, Channels TV
DATE: August 15, 2026
EDITORS: Ajibola Amzat
AUTHOR: Cole Praise
CLAIM 13
An X user, @O_basslet (archived here) has posted a video alongside a claim that Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) officials led thugs to attack Accord party agents in Ward 4, Unit 4 in Ikire, Irewole LGA of Osun State.
FINDINGS
Analysis of the audio-visual attached to the post revealed that individuals present said a popular person known as Abass led the group to attack them, rather than NSCDC officials.
A reverse image search of keyframes from the video by our researchers returned no data of the video online.
The Nigerian Fact-checkers’ Coalition (NFC) reached out to the spokesperson for the Osun State Police Command, Abiodun Ojelabi, to confirm if there’s any disruption in Ward 4, Unit 4 of Ikire town in the state. Ojelabi said there was no chaos in polling wards and units with the tag 4. He also noted that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Ikire town has been securing the Ward 4 in the town.
The coalition also reached out to the spokesperson for the NSCDC, Kehinde Adeleke, who debunked the claim, stating that nothing of such happened or was heard. She also mentioned that she had been going round some polling units to see to it that the election goes smoothly. Residents in Irepodun and Irewole local government areas also confirmed no chaos in the units.
VERDICT: MISLEADING
SOURCES: NSCDC, Osun Police, Residents
DATE: August 15, 2026.
EDITORS:
AUTHOR: Zainab Abdulrasaq
CLAIM 14
A WhatsApp user forwarded a text post (screenshot below) alleging that former Osun governors, Baba (Bisi) Akande and (Olagunsoye) Oyinlola were defeated in their respective polling units.
FINDINGS
The Nigerian Fact-checkers’ Coalition (NFC) reviewed the results on the INEC IReV portal for the polling units mentioned. At Baba Akande’s unit (PU 12, Ward 4, Atogbade, Ila-Orangun), the APC secured 181 votes while Accord received 121, out of 316 total votes. Meanwhile, at former Governor Oyinlola’s unit in Court Hall I, Okuku, Odo-Otin LGA, Accord won with 125 votes against the APC’s 85, from a total of 220 ballots cast. Premium Times and The Nation also reported that Akande won his polling units (PU) for the APC while Oyinlola lost his PU to the ruling Accord party in the state.
VERDICT: PARTLY CORRECT
SOURCES: INEC REV Portal, Premium Times and The Nation.
DATE: August 15, 2026
AUTHOR: Samuel Agbelusi
EDITORS: OPEYEMI KEHINDE AND MOTUNRAYO JOEL
