•Army warns troops against partisanship •Arrests of Accord Party leaders question police neutrality Yinka Kolawole in Osogbo As the campaign for the August 15 governorship election in Osun State gathers fresh momentum, Governors Monday Okpebholo of Edo State, Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State; Minister of Works, David Umahi; and the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, have urged the people of the state to reject Governor Ademola Adeleke and elect the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji. This is just as the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 2 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Auwalu Mahmuda, has directed troops deployed for the governorship election to remain professional, politically neutral and strictly adhere to the Code of Conduct guiding military participation in election security operations. However, concerns have been raised about the alleged lack of neutrality of the police following the alleged arrests of leaders of Accord Party in the state on the orders of the state Police Commissioner, Ibrahim Gotan. Meanwhile, Governor Adeleke has again charged Osun voters to defend their votes in the spirit of democracy and the national constitution. Okpebholo and other APC leaders made appeal in Osogbo during the official flag-off of the construction of the Osogbo-Iwo-Ibadan Road and the reconstruction of the Gbongan-Osogbo Road, a major federal infrastructure project initiated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. Speaking on behalf of President Bola Tinubu, Oyetola described the APC governorship candidate as a competent, experienced, and visionary leader capable of transforming the state through purposeful governance. He said Oyebamiji possesses the administrative capacity, political experience, and developmental vision required to reposition the state and align it with the federal government’s renewed infrastructure drive. According to him, the forthcoming governorship election presents an opportunity for the people of the state to reconnect the state with the centre of national development. In his remarks, Minister of Works, Umahi, described Oyebamiji as “President Tinubu’s political son,” adding that an APC victory in the state would further strengthen developmental partnerships capable of delivering more roads, improved infrastructure, employment opportunities and economic growth. Also addressing the gathering, APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, called on the electorate to vote massively for the APC, arguing that the achievements of the Tinubu administration in infrastructure development have already begun to manifest across different parts of the country. In his remarks, Governor Okpebholo also canvassed support for the APC candidate, saying governance requires practical leadership, strategic planning and the ability to deliver meaningful development to the people. Similarly, Governor Ododo encouraged the electorate to support the APC to consolidate President Tinubu’s developmental agenda. Army Warns Troops against Partisanship The GOC gave the warning while addressing officers and soldiers deployed to support election security operations at the Engineer Construction Command (ECC) in Ede, Osun State. Mahmuda reminded the troops that their deployment was in line with the Nigerian Army’s constitutional responsibility to provide aid to civil authorities when necessary. He explained that the operation, codenamed Operation SAFE CONDUCT, was designed to support the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), which remains the lead agency responsible for election security in Nigeria. According to him, soldiers are expected to provide only outer-cordon security and should intervene strictly when requested to respond to security threats. He warned the troops to stay away from polling units except where their intervention becomes necessary in line with operational directives. The GOC said the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, expects all personnel participating in the operation to demonstrate discipline, professionalism and absolute neutrality throughout the electoral process. He cautioned the troops against political partisanship, intimidation of voters or any conduct capable of undermining the credibility of the election. Mahmuda stressed that the troops must conduct themselves in a manner that reflects the core values of the Nigerian Army, urging them to avoid harassing members of the public while carrying out their duties. Arrests of Accord Party Leaders Question Police Neutrality Meanwhile, concerns have been raised about the alleged lack of neutrality of the police following the arrests of leaders of the Accord Party in the
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