Claim
A report published by The Guild Online Newspaper claims that the police arrested 33 people described as “Accord Party-imported voters” in Osun State.
The claim was also shared by Nigeria2027Election on Instagram and circulated by other social media accounts.
In addition, a Facebook account Popoola Muideen Opeyemi shared a video claiming to show the 33 people allegedly arrested by the police in connection with the claim.
Why We Checked
The claim emerged in the period leading up to the Osun State governorship election and has the potential to influence public perception of political parties and the credibility of the electoral process.
Because the video was presented as evidence that the police had arrested 33 alleged imported voters linked to the Accord Party, CEMESO reviewed the footage and searched for independent evidence to verify the claim.
Also, the video contains images of the Governor of Osun State on the wall of the purported police station, showing that the incident happened in Osun State.
Verification
The video circulating on Facebook shows police officers counting a group of people sitting on the floor. The number of people counted in the footage is 33.
However, the video does not establish why the individuals were arrested, where they were arrested, or whether they were members or supporters of the Accord Party.
At no point in the video do the police officers explain the alleged offence of the individuals or identify them as “imported voters.” The footage also does not contain any statement linking the 33 people to the Accord Party.
Therefore, while the video may show 33 people in police custody, it cannot independently confirm the broader claim that they were arrested for allegedly being imported voters or that they were connected to the Accord Party.
A Google search of the headline also showed that the claim had been published and repeated by several online and social media platforms here, here and here.
However, the repetition of a claim across multiple platforms does not constitute independent verification of the allegation.
At the time of this fact-check, CEMESO found no sufficient publicly available evidence linking the people shown in the video to the Accord Party or confirming that their alleged offence was importing voters into Osun State.
We also checked public domains of the police to see if any arrest of such was published and we found none.
Also, no credible media outlet published this arrest.
An official statement from the Nigeria Police Force or the Osun State Police Command identifying the individuals, stating the circumstances of their arrest and confirming their alleged political affiliation would be required to substantiate the claim.
Verdict
UNPROVEN.
The video shows police officers counting 33 people in custody, but it does not state their alleged offence or establish that they were arrested as “imported voters.” It also does not provide evidence linking the individuals to the Accord Party.
Therefore, the available video and publicly accessible evidence are insufficient to prove the claim that police arrested 33 Accord Party-imported voters in Osun State.
Conclusion
The fact that a video contains 33 people in police custody is not, by itself, proof of the circumstances surrounding their arrest.
Without an official police statement or other verifiable evidence confirming their identities, alleged offence and political affiliation, the claim remains unproven.
