Dr. Mutiu Agboke, INEC REC Osun, Calls Nigerians Out for a Dance
By Citizen Bolaji O. Akinyemi
The most sophisticated political state in Nigeria is, without doubt, Anambra State. This is the state that taught the nation that when impeaching a Governor proves too cumbersome, you can escalate the drama by abducting the Chief Security Officer of the state. Anambra has always been daring—politically audacious. It is a state where a godfather once held the entire system hostage without consequence, forcing even the President and the nation to plead with him to loosen his grip so the state could breathe.
But this story is not about Anambra.
It is about a state whose current Governor and his family proudly trace ancestral and generational ties to the Igbo tribe.
A Brief Update on the Last Anambra Governorship Election (Nov 8, 2025)
The November 8, 2025 Anambra Governorship Election ended with a voter turnout slightly higher than in 2021. The race was intense, yet INEC reported improved BVAS functionality, earlier logistics deployment, and smoother collation. Though some parties alleged malpractice in certain LGAs, observers largely described the election as “peaceful with operational improvements.” INEC declared a winner within the constitutional window, avoiding the historical pitfalls of inconclusive outcomes that once defined Anambra’s political theatre.
I was on the set of the EkoFM TBS Morning Show with Adebisi Adewusi (@debisikonga) and Boluwatife Oyede (@mz_unreal), invited—as always—by Quazim Olufunmilayo, for a postmortem analysis of the Anambra gubernatorial polls.
Joining us as a guest via phone was a man who has been nothing short of magical in his current assignment—the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Osun State, Dr. Mutiu Agboke. His management of the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration exercise deserves commendation. It has been smooth, peaceful, and consistently drawing impressive numbers.
Agboke’s humour stands in sharp contrast to the seriousness of the productivity reports coming out of Osun INEC. He is a forceful, energetic speaker who rarely leaves breathing space in a debate. Given the room, he will take the last word on every subject. I can only imagine what a session between Agboke and Rufai Oseni of Arise TV (@ruffydfire) would look like—a word-war of premium entertainment.
As the conversation approached its conclusion, Agboke issued a call to Nigerians:
“Let us all dance to INEC’s success in Anambra.”
A bold metaphor.
A bold man.
But with the Osun Governorship election now drawing near—and with a Governor who is not just a politician but a celebrated dancer with strong ancestral links to the South-East—the imagery becomes even stronger. Governor Adeleke needs no introduction in the dance world, and Davido (@davido), his nephew, is one of the global faces of Afrobeats. With music, dance, and rhythm firmly on the side of the Adelekes—and an INEC REC calling Nigerians out for a dance—the real question becomes:
Will Dr. Agboke clear the dance floor of the pebbles of inconclusive elections?
Nigerians do not want to dance with Adeleke.
Nigerians do not want to dance with Agboke.
Nigerians want to dance with Democracy.
If Agboke’s exceptional voter-registration efforts—among the best nationwide—translate into a transparent, credible, and violence-free Osun Governorship election, then indeed, the dance will not be forced.
It will be earned.
And the music will be Democracy’s own drumbeat.
