The Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, has alleged that the police have directed the immediate arrest of leaders of the Accord Party in the state ahead of the forthcoming election.
NEWSNGR reports that Adeleke, who raised the alarm at a press briefing on Tuesday, said the reported directive instructed the police to take the party leaders to Abuja and keep them in detention until Monday.
The governor said he had spoken with the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, over the alleged directive, urging him to clarify the situation.
“I have spoken to the Inspector General of Police about the reported directive to arrest Accord Party leaders. But I am appealing to him that this development, if true, is illegal, and presents Nigeria as a lawless country,” Adeleke said.
He alleged that arresting the party leaders on the eve of an election would amount to the police assisting the All Progressives Congress (APC) to manipulate the electoral process.
“Arresting Accord Party leaders on the eve of an election amounts to police helping and assisting the APC to rig the election,” he said.
Adeleke challenged the IGP to publicly assure Nigerians that no such directive had been issued, describing any planned arrest as a threat to democracy.
“It is illegal and a threat to democracy for Accord Party leaders to be arrested on the eve of an election on trumped up charges,” he said.
The governor further alleged that more than 62 Accord Party leaders were already being held in police detention without charges.
“It is disturbing that we still have over 62 Accord Party leaders held in illegal police detention without any charges against them. This is not democracy,” he said.
Adeleke also condemned a viral video allegedly showing a serving senator, Francis Fadahunsi, calling for the killing of Accord Party leaders and their family members.
According to the governor, Fadahunsi threatened that the wives and children of party leaders should be killed where the leaders could not be found.
“In the video, the Senator even threatened that where they cannot get Accord Party leaders, they should kill their wives and children,” Adeleke said.
He described the alleged statement as a national security threat requiring the intervention of President Bola Tinubu through the Office of the National Security Adviser.
“This is now beyond politics. This is now a national security threat that requires the attention of Mr President through the office of the National Security Adviser,” the governor said.
Adeleke said he had reported the matter to the IGP and demanded Fadahunsi’s immediate investigation and arrest, adding that the police chief had confirmed the video and assured him of immediate action.
The governor also called on the police authorities to stop the operations of the Intelligence Response Team, which he accused of arresting Accord Party leaders across local government areas without justification.
“We request that the IGP should stop the illegal operations of IRT, a team that has been arresting Accord Party leaders across the local governments for no just reason,” he said.
Adeleke further demanded the immediate arrest of Fadahunsi by the police and the Department of State Services over what he described as “incitement to genocide against the people of Ijesahland and Osun State.”
“We ask that the police and the DSS immediately arrest Senator Fadahunsi for his incitement to genocide against the people of Ijesahland and Osun State. This is to prove to the world that Nigeria is a state governed by the rule of law,” he said.
The governor urged the IGP to enforce due process and fair policing, while calling for an end to what he described as “anti-people plots” against democracy in Osun State.
“We demand that the IGP enforce due process and fair policing by aborting all anti-people plots against democracy in Osun State,” Adeleke said.
He also urged the police and other security agencies to operate within the law and in accordance with their constitutional responsibilities before, during and after the elections.
“We finally request that the police and other security agencies should act in line with the rule of law and their oath of office before, during and after these coming elections,” he said.
