Osun Govt, Accord Party Raise The Alarm Over Alleged Plan To Arrest Members

Osun State government and the leadership of the Accord Party have alleged a plan to deploy a special police squad to Osun State ahead of the 15 August governorship election to arrest their party members.

A statement by the commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Oluomo Kolapo Alimi, stated that the information available to the government and the party leadership indicated that the squad, allegedly led by a chief Superintendent of Police (name withheld), is expected to arrive the state and commence operations focused on arresting prominent Accord Party members and some government officials, thereby putting their safety and security at risk.

The government expressed concern that such selective, partisan operations, if carried out, could heighten political tension in the state and expose state government officials and Accord party leaders to harassment and intimidation before and during the election period.

The Accord leadership further alleged that the squad may have held meetings with leaders of the opposition APC in the state, including its governorship candidate, Mr Bola Oyebamiji, regarding logistics and operational arrangements ahead of the planned deployment.

The statement noted that the reported operation is believed to be outside the knowledge of the Osun State Commissioner of Police, a development the government described as troubling, given the sensitive political atmosphere in the state.

The Osun State Government and the Accord Party, therefore, called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, other security agencies, civil society organisations, and the international community to closely monitor developments in Osun State ahead of the governorship election.

Efforts to get the reaction of the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the time of filing this report proved abortive.