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LeeSmart:
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E no go shock me say Naptu2 or Dominique move this thread to front page😁😁😁

Osun Election: Arise News Violates Electoral Act, Invites Only Three Governorship Candidates To Townhall, Shuts Out AAC, 10 Others

ARISE News has been accused of violating provisions of Nigeria’s Electoral Act 2026 on equal media access after inviting only three of the 14 candidates contesting the August 15 Osun State governorship election to its scheduled town hall.

The broadcasting house invited Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party, Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Dr Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to participate in the televised forum.

However, 11 other candidates, including the African Action Congress (AAC) candidate, Olajide Esan, were excluded from the event despite being officially cleared to contest the same election.

The town hall, titled “2026 Governorship Election: The Battle for Osun State,” is scheduled to hold on Tuesday, August 11, at the Aurora Conference & Events Center, Ring Road, Osogbo, Osun State.

The programme is being organised with the support of the Tribune Newspaper Editorial Board and is expected to be broadcast live from 11:00 a.m.

The exclusion of the 11 candidates raises serious questions about compliance with Section 99 of the Electoral Act 2026, which provides for equal treatment and media access for political parties and candidates during elections.

Section 99(2) of the Act states that “State apparatus including the media shall not be employed to the advantage or disadvantage of any political party or candidate at any election.”

The law further provides in subsection (3) that “Media time shall be allocated equally among the political parties or candidates at similar hours of the day.”

Section 99(4) also states that at any public electronic media, “equal airtime shall be allotted to all political parties or candidates during prime times at similar hours each day,” subject to payment of appropriate fees.

The provision is designed to prevent the media from giving some candidates an unfair advantage over others during an election by determining who gets access to platforms capable of reaching large numbers of voters.


Despite these provisions, ARISE News has selected only three candidates out of the 14 candidates participating in the Osun governorship election for its major town hall, leaving the other 11 without representation at the event.

Those excluded include Olanrewaju Farinloye of the Action Alliance (AA); Olajide Esan of the African Action Congress (AAC); Adeagbo Opawoye of the African Democratic Party (ADP); Adesina Adeyemi-Doro of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA); Adewale Adebayo of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM); Clement Adesuyi of the Action Peoples Party (APP); Masilo Adeleke of the Boot Party; Taofeek Adeleke of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP); Saliu Oyelami of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP); Olalekan Ogunsakin of the Young Progressives Party (YPP); and Adefemi Adesuyi of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

The development means that only three candidates will be given the opportunity to appear before ARISE’s audience to explain their programmes, defend their records and respond to questions from voters at a high-profile forum coming just days before the election.

The exclusion is particularly significant because the town hall is expected to be transmitted beyond Osun State, with ARISE News broadcasting it across its television and digital platforms.

The programme will also be streamed in Yoruba through the Osun State Broadcasting Corporation (OSBC), potentially giving the three selected candidates significant additional exposure among Yoruba-speaking voters.

The Electoral Act provides sanctions for violations of its equal-airtime provisions.

Under Section 99(6), a public media organisation that contravenes subsections (3) and (4) is liable to a fine of N2 million for a first conviction and N5 million for a subsequent conviction.

Principal officers and other officers of the media house may also face a fine of N1 million or imprisonment for six months upon conviction.

The issue is therefore not merely about who was invited to a political discussion, but whether the selective access granted to three candidates is consistent with the legal requirement that political parties and candidates should not be disadvantaged through unequal media treatment during an election.

The AAC candidate, Esan, is among those shut out of the forum, despite being an official candidate in the election.

Also excluded is Adeagbo Opawoye of the ADP, the only female candidate in the race and, at 84, the oldest candidate contesting the election.

The other excluded candidates are equally seeking the votes of Osun residents and are entitled to present their programmes to the electorate.

ARISE News has not publicly explained why 11 of the 14 candidates were excluded from the town hall or whether the excluded candidates were offered an alternative platform or equivalent airtime to present their positions to voters.

The broadcaster's decision has therefore raised concerns over whether the selection of only three candidates could amount to unequal media treatment capable of giving those invited an electoral advantage over their rivals.

The controversy comes just four days before the August 15 election, when voters across Osun State will elect their next governor.

With campaigns entering their final days, access to major broadcast platforms could significantly influence voters' knowledge of the candidates, their policies and their programmes.

The Electoral Act’s equal-access provisions are intended to ensure that such platforms do not become instruments for favouring some candidates over others.

The three invited candidates — Adeleke, Oyebamiji and Salaam — are expected to use the ARISE platform to outline their visions for Osun State and respond to questions from the audience.

But 11 other candidates will not have the same opportunity at the event.

The development has consequently raised a fundamental question ahead of the election: whether a broadcaster can select only a fraction of the officially recognised candidates for a major election programme without providing comparable media access to those excluded.

ARISE News to Host Osun Governorship Town Hall with Adeleke, Oyebamiji, and Salaam on August 11

ARISE News Channel will host a special town hall on Tuesday, August 11, featuring the three leading candidates in the Osun governorship race. The candidates are Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party, Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and Dr. Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress (ADC). They will discuss their plans for the state before a representative audience. Themed “2026 Governorship Election: The Battle for Osun State,” the event is scheduled to take place at the Aurora Conference & Events Centre, Ring Road, Osogbo, Osun State. The town hall will be broadcast live from 11:00 a.m. It is designed to give the candidates a platform to engage voters directly on critical issues affecting Osun State and to outline their programmes ahead of the August 15 election.

ARISE News to Host Osun Governorship Town Hall with Adeleke, Oyebamiji, and Salaam on August 11

ARISE News Channel will host a special town hall on Tuesday, August 11, featuring the three leading candidates in the Osun governorship race. The candidates are Governor Ademola… pic.twitter.com/vq3N7cZI6S

— ARISE NEWS (@ARISEtv) August 9, 2026

@atiku: The best of Nigerians (and that includes the ADC Osun governorship candidate, Dr Najeem Folasayo Salam) are in @ADCNig.

I came and asked you to vote for me in the 2023 presidential election and you did, ensuring the defeat of Tinubu in his own state.

I came and asked you to vote for the current governor of the state and you voted for him.

This time, I've come to ask you to vote for the ADC and its governorship candidate, Dr Najeem Folasayo Salam.

@atiku: The best of Nigerians (and that includes the ADC Osun governorship candidate, Dr Najeem Folasayo Salam) are in @ADCNig.

I came and asked you to vote for me in the 2023 presidential election and you did, ensuring the defeat of Tinubu in his own state.

I came and asked… pic.twitter.com/LGrVPwRDAe

— Paul Ibe (@omonlakiki) August 10, 2026