The Imole Campaign Council of Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has called for the immediate release of 86 Accord Party members allegedly arrested by the police ahead of the August 8 governorship election, accusing security agencies of political intimidation.
Addressing journalists after a visit to the Force Intelligence Response Team (IRT) headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday, the campaign’s spokesperson, Barrister Pelumi Olajengbasi, described the arrests as unlawful and warned that they could undermine the credibility of the forthcoming governorship poll.
Olajengbasi alleged that the detained individuals, all members of the Accord Party, were arrested solely because of their support for Governor Adeleke’s re-election bid and not for committing any criminal offence.
According to him, efforts to obtain clarification from police authorities yielded no explanation, as no petition or formal charges had been filed against the detainees.
He further claimed that 36 of those arrested had been transferred to the Nigerian Correctional Service facility in Keffi, Nasarawa State, while another 14 were moved to the Kuje Custodial Centre in the Federal Capital Territory.
Describing the development as a misuse of state institutions, the campaign spokesman accused the police of abandoning their constitutional responsibility by acting in a partisan manner during the election period.
Olajengbasi also alleged that the Secretary to the Osun State Government was arrested while carrying out voter sensitisation activities, insisting that security agencies should protect the democratic process rather than intimidate political actors.
He further claimed that some of the arrested party members were allegedly asked by security personnel whether they were willing to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing the allegation as disturbing and embarrassing for Nigeria’s democracy.
Calling for urgent intervention, the campaign urged the Inspector-General of Police to ensure neutrality among security agencies and accused the Osun State Commissioner of Police of bias, warning that his continued supervision of election security could compromise the integrity of the poll.
The council also appealed to President Bola Tinubu to ensure that security agencies remain impartial before, during, and after the governorship election.
When contacted, Osun State Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Gotan said he was unaware of the alleged arrests and promised to verify the claims.
“I am not aware. Let me check and get back to you,” the police commissioner said.
As of the time of filing the report, he had yet to provide further clarification on the matter.
The campaign maintained that Nigerians and the international community would closely monitor the conduct of security agencies during the election, stressing that democratic institutions must not be deployed to harass or intimidate political opponents.
