FACT-CHECK: Osun Police Confirm Arrest of Assembly Member Over Alleged Voter Importation, But 146 Figure Unverified!
BY: Mustapha Lawal
Claim:
An Accord Party member of the Osun State House of Assembly, Hon. Abiola Ibrahim, imported 146 voters into Ikire ahead of the Osun governorship election to vote for his party.
Verdict:
PARTLY VERIFIED! FactCheckAfrica confirmed with the Osun State Police Command that Hon. Abiola Ibrahim was arrested in connection with the alleged mobilisation of voters, but the police could not independently confirm the specific figure of 146 persons or the details of the alleged confession.
Full Text:
As Osun State votes in the governorship election on Saturday, August 15, 2026, reports of alleged attempts to influence the electoral process through voter mobilisation have circulated on social media.
A video circulating online shows a large group of people being questioned by security operatives. The individuals are reportedly alleged to have been brought into Ikire ahead of the election and were found with newly issued Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
Social media posts accompanying the video identified Hon. Abiola Ibrahim, an Accord Party member of the Osun State House of Assembly representing Irewole-Isokan Constituency, as the person who allegedly brought the voters into the area.
The posts further claimed that Ibrahim confessed during preliminary questioning that 146 persons had been brought into the area and accommodated at his residence to vote for the Accord Party.
The claim has attracted attention because the alleged mobilisation, if established, could raise questions about compliance with Nigeria’s electoral laws and the integrity of the ongoing governorship election.
FactCheckAfrica therefore contacted the Osun State Police Command to establish what had been confirmed by law enforcement authorities.
Verification:
FactCheckAfrica contacted the Police Public Relations Officer of the Osun State Police Command, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, who confirmed that the police had arrested Hon. Abiola Ibrahim in connection with the incident.
The police spokesperson also confirmed that other individuals were arrested alongside him and that the matter was being handled for further investigation.
However, when asked specifically about the claim that 146 persons were arrested or brought into Ikire, Ojelabi said he could not ascertain the exact figure.
This distinction is important because the number circulating on social media has been presented as an established fact, while the police authority contacted by FactCheckAfrica was unable to independently confirm it.
The circulating video also appears to show a large group of people being questioned by security operatives. However, the video alone does not establish the identities of everyone shown, their number, where they came from, whether they were registered voters in another location, or whether they had actually voted or intended to vote for a particular political party.
Similarly, the alleged confession attributed to Ibrahim should be treated with caution until it is formally established through the ongoing investigation or an official statement by the police.
At the time of publication, FactCheckAfrica had not independently established the identities of all the individuals shown in the video or verified the exact circumstances under which they were allegedly brought to Ikire.
What has been confirmed?
The available evidence supports some elements of the circulating report.
First, the Osun State Police Command confirmed the arrest of Hon. Abiola Ibrahim in connection with the incident.
Second, the police confirmed that other individuals were also arrested and that the matter had been referred for further investigation.
However, the specific figure of 146 persons, the claim that all of them were brought into Ikire to vote specifically for the Accord Party, and the details of the alleged confession have not been independently confirmed by the police spokesperson contacted by FactCheckAfrica.
These unresolved details are significant because social media posts have presented them as established facts.
Conclusion:
The claim that an Accord Party member of the Osun State House of Assembly, Hon. Abiola Ibrahim, was arrested alongside a group of alleged voters is supported by confirmation from the Osun State Police Command.
However, FactCheckAfrica could not independently verify the claim that exactly 146 persons were involved or that Ibrahim confessed to importing that specific number of voters into Ikire to vote for the Accord Party.
The police spokesperson confirmed the arrests but said he could not ascertain the claimed number. FactCheckAfrica therefore rates the claim PARTLY VERIFIED pending further details from the police investigation.
