Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately order the Ebonyi State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mrs Pauline Ugoyenka, alleged to be in Osogbo, to leave the state. The demand was contained in a statement issued by the Imole Campaign Council and signed by the Chairman of its Media and Publicity Committee, Hon. Bamidele Salam.
Alleged Unauthorized Presence
The council alleged the presence of Ugoyenka in Osun despite her name being absent from the list of RECs deployed to supervise the August 15 governorship election in the state. According to Salam, the council had also raised concerns over the alleged deployment of non-customised ballot papers and result sheets for the election.
He alleged that Ugoyenka, whom he described as an ICT expert and close associate of Governor Hope Uzodinma, was currently staying at Tees Continental Hotel on Laro Timileyin Street, Ayekale, Osogbo. The statement further alleged that she had previously stayed at Aenon Suites, where individuals allegedly brought in by the All Progressives Congress (APC) from Lagos and Abuja were also said to be staying.
INEC Letter and Missing Name
Salam said an INEC letter dated August 3, 2026, addressed to RECs from 15 contributing states, identified the officials and states providing supervisory contingents for the Osun election, adding that Ebonyi State was not included on the list. “Who authorised Mrs Pauline Ugoyenka’s presence in Osun, and what exactly is she doing here?” the Council asked.
The campaign council urged INEC’s national leadership to explain Ugoyenka’s role, authority and activities in the state and to publish the complete list of officials deployed for the election. It also demanded her immediate departure from Osun, arguing that she was not officially posted to the state and that her alleged presence could undermine confidence in the electoral process.
Concerns Over Electoral Materials
The council further called on INEC to clarify reports concerning the use of electoral materials that were allegedly not customised specifically for the Osun governorship election. “We will not accept any arrangement capable of compromising the integrity, transparency or credibility of the August 15 election,” the statement said.
The campaign council insisted that only properly customised ballot papers and result sheets produced and verified specifically for the Osun governorship election should be used. It warned that any departure from this requirement could raise questions about the credibility of the electoral process and said it would resist any arrangement it considered capable of compromising the election.
INEC has not, in the statement provided at the time of filing this report, offered a response to the allegations.
