Osun Election: Adeleke Campaign Alleges Plot To Arrest Supporters, Police Deny Compiling.

Fresh controversy has emerged ahead of the August 15 governorship election in Osun State, with the campaign organisation of Governor Ademola Adeleke accusing the police of planning a wave of politically motivated arrests, an allegation the Osun State Police Command has firmly denied.

The Imole Campaign Council, which is coordinating Adeleke’s re-election bid, claimed on Sunday that security operatives had drawn up a list of 46 individuals allegedly marked for arrest in the run-up to the election.

Addressing journalists in Osogbo, the Deputy Director-General of the campaign council, Kolapo Alimi, alleged that most of those targeted were political figures and supporters from Ikire, the headquarters of Irewole Local Government Area.

According to Alimi, the list allegedly includes the Osun State Commissioner for Energy, Ademola Adeyemo, as well as several political leaders associated with the Accord Party and other opposition figures in the area.
He also alleged that an Accord Party chieftain in Ikire, Taofeek Akinyemi, was arrested and detained after reporting to the police that he had been attacked and shot by suspected hoodlums.

Alimi further accused an operative of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) of collaborating with political opponents to facilitate the arrest of Accord Party members as part of an alleged effort to weaken the party’s campaign activities before the election.

He said: “Even more alarming are the credible security reports reaching the leadership of the Imole Campaign Council regarding a coordinated drawn up by political opponents in collusion with compromised security operatives.

“Several leaders of the Accord Party and prominent opposition figures have been ‘penned down’ for systematic, unlawful arrests in the days leading up to the election.

“Specifically, we have confirmed information that the following individuals (46 in number) have been marked for arbitrary arrest, harassment, and forcible transfer to Abuja to keep them out of circulation during the election.”