A group of Accord Party candidates for the 2027 National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections in Osun State have called on President Bola Tinubu to step in and stop police intimidation of the party’s leaders and members in the state.
Speaking to journalists on behalf of the Accord candidates, Bamidele Salam, who represents Ede North/Ede South/Egbedore/Ejigbo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, said the President's help is needed because of the rising trend of police harassment against party members.
Salam also demanded the immediate release of Alaba Ibrahim Popoola, the party’s House of Representatives candidate for Ijesa South Federal Constituency, and Mr Sodiq Olaniyan, a law student he said is being held in a criminal cell over claims of cyberstalking.
Salam explained that Olaniyan was arrested after he questioned the alleged interference of an APC leader in the work of the Independent National Electoral Commission during the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards.
“Instead of looking into the reported interference with INEC’s work, the police arrested the citizen who raised the alarm. This action is reckless and a dangerous attack on civic responsibility.
“The police said Mr Popoola Alaba was arrested because of a petition from an unnamed person, but they did not reveal who that person is. This denies Nigerians the chance to judge the credibility or possible political reasons behind such claims,” he said.
Salam also alleged that the senator for Osun East Senatorial District, Francis Fadahunsi, has been meeting with heads of security agencies in the state, “where plans were allegedly made to start targeting leaders and members of the Accord with false claims and illegal detention.”
He added, “We have been reliably informed that our senatorial candidate for Osun East, Hon. Ibukun Fadipe, and several other party leaders, especially in the Ijesa area, have been marked for arrest soon using the same questionable tactics used against Mr Popoola Alaba. If this is true, then democracy in Osun State is in serious danger.
“We urge Mr President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, to intervene in this worrying trend of police harassment, intimidation, and persecution of our party leaders and members in Osun State as we approach the August 15 governorship election.”
In response, Fadahunsi’s media adviser, Sam Segun-Progress, rejected the allegations, stating that the senator's popularity is what has caused concern among his political rivals.
“Fadahunsi’s grassroots appeal has always scared the opposition during every election season. Similar lies were shouted loudly in 2014.
“Isn't it strange that those who once defended Fadahunsi against such lies are now the ones creating today’s falsehoods?
“Fadahunsi remains committed to democratic values and mobilizing voters, which is making his opponents anxious and leading them to create lies in preparation for their expected defeat,” Segun-Progress said.
PUNCH Online reports that earlier, the Osun State Police Command said Popoola was arrested over a petition dated July 4 that accused him of being involved in illegal mining.
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