Osun Accord party candidates accuse police of intimidation, seek Tinubu’s intervention

A group of Accord Party candidates in Osun State has called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene in what they describe as escalating police intimidation and persecution of their party's leaders and members. The candidates allege a pattern of harassment that they believe is designed to undermine their participation in the upcoming elections.

Central to their plea is the demand for the immediate release of Alaba Ibrahim Popoola, the Accord Party's House of Representatives candidate for Ijesa South Federal Constituency, and Sodiq Olaniyan, a law student. The candidates state that Olaniyan is being held in a criminal cell over allegations of cyberstalking, asserting that he was arrested after raising concerns about alleged unlawful interference by an All Progressives Congress (APC) leader in the Independent National Electoral Commission's (INEC) voter card distribution process.

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Rather than investigate the reported interference with INEC’s lawful activities, the police chose to arrest the citizen who raised the alarm. This action is reckless, indefensible and a dangerous assault on civic responsibility.

"Rather than investigate the reported interference with INEC’s lawful activities, the police chose to arrest the citizen who raised the alarm. This action is reckless, indefensible and a dangerous assault on civic responsibility," stated Bamidele Salam, the member representing Ede North/Ede South/Egbedore/Ejigbo Federal Constituency, speaking on behalf of the candidates. They also questioned the lack of transparency regarding the accuser in Popoola's case.

Furthermore, the Accord Party candidates allege that Senator Francis Fadahunsi, representing Osun East Senatorial District, has been meeting with state security agency heads to orchestrate the "hounding" of Accord leaders and members through "frivolous allegations and unlawful detention." They claim their senatorial candidate for Osun East, Hon. Ibukun Fadipe, and other party leaders in the Ijesa area are marked for arrest. The candidates expressed concern that "democracy in Osun State is under serious threat" as the August 15 governorship election approaches.

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We are reliably informed that our senatorial candidate for Osun East Senatorial District, Hon. Ibukun Fadipe, alongside several other leaders of our party, particularly within the Ijesa axis, have allegedly been marked for arrest in the coming days using the same questionable methods deployed against Mr Popoola Alaba. If this is true, then democracy in Osun State is under serious threat.