Candidates of the Accord Party for the National and State Assemblies in Osun State have accused the Osun State Police Command of allegedly targeting and harassing the party’s leaders and members ahead of the August 15 governorship election, calling on the Inspector-General of Police to intervene.
Addressing a press conference in Osogbo on Sunday, the Accord candidate for Ede Federal Constituency, Hon. Bamidele Salam, alleged that the recent arrests of some party members reflected a pattern of politically motivated intimidation.
Salam expressed concern over the arrest of the party’s House of Representatives candidate for Ijesa South Federal Constituency, Mr. Popoola Alaba, who he alleged had been transferred to Abuja following his arrest.
He said the party initially refrained from commenting on the matter, believing the police might have been acting on a genuine criminal complaint, but added that the official explanation issued by the command had raised more questions than answers.
According to him, the police did not disclose the identity or status of the petitioner behind the allegation against Alaba, making it difficult for members of the public to assess the credibility or possible political motive behind the complaint.
Salam also questioned whether Alaba was ever invited by the police before what he described as a commando-style arrest and transfer to Abuja, saying the development raised concerns over due process in criminal investigations.
The Accord candidate further condemned the arrest of Barrister Olaniyan Sodiq, a legal practitioner and party member in Ward 4, Ido-Osun, Egbedore Local Government Area.
He alleged that Sodiq was arrested after questioning what he considered unlawful interference in the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), arguing that the police should have investigated the reported incident instead of arresting the individual who raised the alarm.
Salam called for the immediate and unconditional release of Sodiq, describing his arrest as an assault on civic responsibility.
He also alleged that the party had received intelligence suggesting that more Accord leaders, including its Osun East Senatorial candidate, Hon. Ibukun Fadipe, could be arrested in the coming days through what he described as questionable methods.
The Accord candidate further alleged that there were reports of plans to arrest some organised labour leaders in the state, warning that such action, if carried out, would amount to an attack on democratic freedoms.
He urged the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Olatunji Disu, to ensure that officers under his command in Osun State operate professionally, remain neutral and uphold the Constitution and the rule of law before, during and after the governorship election.
Salam also appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene by directing security agencies to remain impartial throughout the electoral process and ensure that no citizen is persecuted because of political affiliation or democratic association.
He demanded the immediate release of Popoola Alaba, Barrister Olaniyan Sodiq and every other person allegedly arrested without lawful justification in different parts of the state.
The Accord candidates also called for an investigation into the alleged harassment of party members and urged the National Human Rights Commission, the Nigerian Bar Association, the National Peace Committee, the media and civil society organisations to closely monitor developments in Osun State ahead of the governorship election.
He maintained that the Accord Party remained committed to peaceful, issue-based and democratic participation in the forthcoming polls, urging all institutions responsible for the electoral process to safeguard democracy and the constitutional rights of citizens.