Fact-Check Roundup: 17 Key Claims Verified in the Osun Governorship Election
The 2026 Osun State governorship election sparked numerous claims on social media. NDRFact-check reviewed the allegations and found many to be false, misleading, or unsupported. Here is a summary:...
The 2026 Osun State governorship election sparked numerous claims on social media. NDRFact-check reviewed the allegations and found many to be false, misleading, or unsupported. Here is a summary:
- Vote-buying allegation:
Senator Dino Melaye claimed that the APC spent ₦70bn to buy votes. Evidence of vote-buying exists, but the specific figures remain speculative and unverified. Read more here.
- Davido cash transfer rumour
Viral WhatsApp messages said Davido gave ₦15,000 to celebrate Adeleke’s victory. No receipts or credible proof supported this. The claim was fabricated. Read more here.
- Accord Party arrest confusion
Reports said the Accord Party chairman in Irewole was arrested. In reality, the person arrested was a lawmaker, not the chairman. Read more here
- Election-day police arrests
Social media buzzed with reports of thugs arrested. The Police Commissioner confirmed no arrests had been made that day. Read more here
- INEC bribery claim
INEC denied allegations that Accord paid its officials ₦10m each. No evidence supports the claim. Read more here
- Attack on INEC centre
Authorities dismissed rumours of Accord thugs attacking APC members at a distribution centre in Ife East as false. Read more here
- Ad hoc staff replacement
A Facebook post alleged INEC swapped trained staff for unqualified people. INEC denied this, calling it an attempt to undermine credibility. Read more here
- Viral rally video
A video circulating on social media purportedly showed a large number of Accord supporters in Osun. Reverse image search revealed it was from India, not Osun. Read more here
- Akin Ogunbiyi’s endorsement
A post claimed APC chieftain Ogunbiyi endorsed Adeleke. The image used was from 2022 when Ogunbiyi was Accord’s candidate. Read more here.
- Oyebamiji’s resource claim
APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji said 97% of Osun’s resources are concentrated in two LGAs. No data confirmed this, so it remains unproven. Read more here.
- Accord chairman confusion
Senate President Akpabio introduced Chris Imumolen as Accord’s national chairman. INEC records show Maxwell Mgbudem is the actual chairman. Read more here
- Adeleke withdrawal rumour
Claims that Governor Adeleke withdrew from the race were false. His aide dismissed them as mischievous. Read more here
- State policing claim
Adeleke said he introduced state policing in the Senate. Records show he sponsored a community policing motion, but state policing was introduced by other Senators. Read more here.
- Workers’ strike claim
Adeleke claimed workers never went on strike under his administration. In fact, judiciary workers went on strike in 2023. Read more here
- Women in niqab video
A video of women in black niqabs was said to be an anti-Tinubu protest. It was actually an APC campaign rally. Read more here
- Tinubu’s flyover remark
A video suggested Tinubu criticised Adeleke’s Lameco Bridge project. In reality, Tinubu made a general statement to governors nationwide. Read more here
- ₦20,000 campaign fund scam
A WhatsApp message claimed Adeleke was giving ₦20,000 to residents. ScamAdviser flagged the site as unsafe, confirming it was a phishing scam. Read more here
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