Fact-Check: Accord Party Lawmaker Arrested in Irewole Not Party Chairman

Claim: Police arrest Accord Party Irewole LG Chairman alongside suspected fake voters.

Verdict: Misleading

Full Story

A social media message claims that police arrested the Accord Party Chairman in Irewole Local Government Area of Osun State, along with suspected party thugs, during the ongoing governorship election.

Police authorities confirmed the arrest of an Accord Party member, Hon. Abiola Ibrahim Inaolaji, who is a serving member of the Osun State House of Assembly representing the Irewole/Isokan State Constituency. He was arrested alongside a large group of people in Ikire, but he is not the Accord Party Chairman in Irewole Local Government Area

The arrest itself, however, is not fabricated. What is incorrect is the identity and political position attributed to the person arrested.

According to reports quoting the Osun State Police Command, the person arrested was Abiola Ibrahim Inaolaji,  an Accord Party member and serving lawmaker in the Osun State House of Assembly. He represents the Irewole/Isokan State Constituency in the legislature. Police operatives reportedly arrested him in Ikire alongside 146 suspected electoral mercenaries.

The police said they allegedly found the suspects at a residence linked to the lawmaker. Reports further stated that investigators were looking into allegations that people had been brought into Osun to participate in the election.

The distinction between a lawmaker representing a constituency and a local government party chairman is significant.

The misleading post therefore appears to have conflated his legislative representation with a party leadership position. This changes the identity of the person involved and could give readers a false impression about the role he holds within the Accord Party.

The police’s account should also be distinguished from allegations presented as facts. The authorities described the people arrested as suspected electoral mercenaries, while investigations were ongoing. Their arrest does not by itself establish guilt.

This distinction is particularly important during an election, when claims about political actors and alleged electoral offences can quickly become tools for political narratives. Misidentifying an arrested individual may also unfairly implicate a person in a position they do not hold.

Conclusion

The claim that the Accord Party Chairman in Irewole Local Government Area was arrested is misleading.

An Accord Party member, Hon. Abiola Ibrahim Inaolaji, who represents Irewole/Isokan State Constituency in the Osun State House of Assembly,  was indeed arrested by the police alongside a large group of suspects in Ikire.

However, available reports and police accounts identify him as a lawmaker, not the Accord Party Chairman in Irewole Local Government Area.

The arrest is real; the description of his position is not.

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