Barely two weeks before the 15 August governorship election in Osun State, the Accord Party has petitioned President Bola Tinubu, Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu and others over what it described as the police’s pattern of intimidation and politically motivated arrests targeting its members.
The party also renewed its call for the immediate removal of the state’s Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, over alleged partisanship, saying his continued tenure could undermine the credibility of the forthcoming governorship election.
The petition comes after months of heightened tension between the ruling party and the police, including the controversial raid on the residence of Secretary to the State Government Teslim Igbalaye, the arrest of party officials and sustained demands by the party and civil society groups for the redeployment of the state’s Commissioner of Police.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Accord’s National Chairman, Maxwell Mgbudem, alleged that police actions in recent weeks had disproportionately targeted the party ahead of the governorship election.
According to him, about 100 party leaders, candidates, members and supporters have been arrested across the state, with some allegedly transferred to Abuja for investigation.
The party argued that the arrests, coupled with the police’s failure to arrest suspects linked to attacks on its supporters and campaign infrastructure, had raised concerns over the neutrality of security agencies ahead of the poll.
“We had previously addressed the media on the mindless killing of its leaders and supporters, multiple attacks on Imole Campaign Council and the party’s offices, and destruction of campaign billboards by thugs,” Mr Mgbudem said.
He urged President Tinubu, the Inspector-General of Police, the National Security Adviser and the international community “to intervene to safeguard democratic rule and ensure a level playing field for all political parties participating in the election.”
Governor Ademola Adeleke is seeking re-election on the Accord Party platform and is up against Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and candidates from other political parties.
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Osun SSG raid
The latest petition follows a police raid on the residence of Mr Igbalaye, where officers said they recovered N4.8 million cash, two permanent voter cards, voter registers, and other items during an operation investigating alleged vote-buying and criminal conspiracy and harbouring a wanted suspect.
Mr Igbalaye was later released on Thursday after kicks by the Osun State House of Assembly’s Speaker, Adewale Egbedun, and the ruling Accord Party.
The Osun government rejected the allegations, insisting that the operation was politically motivated and describing the raid as illegal.
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