The Osun State chapter of the Accord Party and the member representing Ila/Ifedayo/Boluwaduro Federal Constituency, Hon. Clement Akanni Olohunwa, have questioned the credibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission's (INEC) risk assessment report, which identified 385 flashpoints across Osun State ahead of the 2026 governorship election.
The party described the report as exaggerated and called on the Osun Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola, to review the assessment, arguing that it does not accurately reflect the security situation in the state.
Speaking on behalf of the party, Osun Accord Chairman, Pastor Victor Babalola Akande, commended the REC for her commitment to conducting a free and fair election but expressed concerns over what he described as inconsistencies in the report.
According to him, stakeholders across the state have raised questions about the classification of 385 flashpoints and over 200 inaccessible polling areas, insisting that such figures could create unnecessary fear and potentially affect voter participation.
Akande said the party intends to engage the electoral commission on the methodology adopted for the assessment and the consultant responsible for preparing the report.
"We know the REC has good intentions, but the circumstances surrounding the compilation of the report should be reviewed. Osun is largely peaceful, and the figures contained in the assessment do not reflect the reality on the ground," he said.
Also reacting, Hon. Clement Akanni Olohunwa rejected the inclusion of Ila Local Government among areas reportedly identified as kidnapping hotspots, maintaining that the town has no record of any kidnapping incident.
According to the lawmaker, the few kidnapping cases recorded within the federal constituency occurred in Ora, located in Ifedayo Local Government, adding that security agencies had since restored normalcy in the affected area.
"Ila has never witnessed any case of kidnapping. It is therefore wrong to classify Ila as a flashpoint. That error calls into question the credibility of the entire risk assessment," Olohunwa said.
He further argued that the report may have overstated the level of security risk across Osun State, urging the REC to investigate the process that produced the assessment and ensure that election planning is based on accurate and verifiable data.
The federal lawmaker maintained that Osun remains largely peaceful, adding that the commission should review the report to prevent what he described as possible misinformation from influencing electoral preparations.
The Accord Party also warned that any inaccurate classification of communities as flashpoints could create voter anxiety and affect public confidence in the electoral process, urging INEC to reassess the report before the governorship election.
