Hooded gunmen stormed a ward collation centre in Osogbo, the capital of Osun State, on Saturday night, August 15, 2026, firing sporadic shots into the air and disrupting the ongoing collation of results from the state’s governorship election.
The incident occurred around 9:45 p.m. at the collation centre in Ataoja D, which handles results from polling units in Ward 4 of Osogbo Local Government Area.
According to reports, the armed men invaded the facility and opened fire sporadically for about five minutes in an apparent bid to scare away Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials, party agents, and others present, thereby interrupting the collation exercise. The situation was later brought under control.
The attack took place as collation of results from the Osun State governorship election continued across the state. Voting had largely concluded earlier in the day, with INEC progressing with sorting, counting, and uploading results to its portal amid reports of pockets of violence and disruptions in some areas.
Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, the Accord Party candidate seeking re-election, raised the alarm over alleged attempts to disrupt collation processes at various centres.
In a post on X, he appealed to President Bola Tinubu to caution the heads of security agencies deployed for the election and ensure the protection of voters, INEC officials, and the integrity of the process.
Adeleke described reports of efforts to hijack or disrupt collation centres as “deeply concerning and unacceptable” and urged the President to reaffirm commitment to counting every valid vote.
The Osogbo incident adds to earlier reports of tension and isolated violence during the election day, including allegations of thugs attempting to disrupt voting or snatch ballot materials in some polling units. Security agencies had deployed significant personnel for the polls.
As of the latest available reports, there was no immediate confirmation of casualties or arrests specifically tied to the Ward 4 collation centre invasion, and official statements from the police or INEC on the precise sequence of events and the identities of the assailants were still pending.
The Osun governorship election pits incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party against leading challengers, including the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate. Results collation is expected to continue, with stakeholders closely monitoring developments for any further disruptions.
Authorities have been urged to investigate the attack thoroughly, enhance security at remaining collation centres, and ensure the peaceful conclusion of the electoral process. Further updates are anticipated as more details emerge from security agencies and INEC.
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