Against the backdrop of August 15 gubernatorial poll in Osun, candidates on the platform of Accord, on Sunday urged President Bola Tinubu, the Inspector General of Police, Tunji Disu, Nigerian Bar association (NBA), National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), and other stakeholders to save them from alleged politically motivated arrests, witch hunt and persecution.

 

They said that the recent arrest of some prominent leaders, most recently the candidate of Accord for Ijesa South Federal Constituency, Popoola Alaba, allegedly portrayed the Osun State Police Command as pursuing narrow political interest and agenda.

 

Addressing a press conference in Osogbo, spokesperson for Accord candidates, contesting elections into the National and State Assemblies, Honourable Bamidele Salam chided the Police for turning itself into a willing tools in the hands of some desperate political actors.

 

Salam argued that alleged illegal arrest of members of the party as a result of trump up petitions was inimical to peace in the state and threat to democractic tenets.

 

According to him, “we want to draw the attention of Nigerians, the Inspector-General of Police, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), civil society organisations and the international community to what has become a dangerous pattern of harassment and politically motivated arrests of leaders and members of our great party by the Osun State Police Command.

 

“The Nigerian Police Force is constitutionally established to protect lives and property, uphold the rule of law and serve all citizens without fear or favour. Sadly, recent developments in Osun State portray a Police Command that appears increasingly willing to lend itself to partisan interests through frivolous arrests and trumped-up allegations targeted at prominent leaders of our party.

 

“The latest and perhaps most disturbing example is the arrest of our party’s candidate for Ijesa South Federal Constituency, Mr Popoola Alaba, who, we understand, was quietly moved to Abuja this morning.

 

“Initially, we deliberately exercised restraint. We believed it was only fair to give the Osun State Police Command the benefit of the doubt in the event that there existed any genuine criminal allegation requiring investigation.

 

“However, our confidence was shattered after reading the Command’s official explanation in the newspapers. Rather than inspire public confidence, the statement raised more troubling questions than answers.

 

“The Police claimed Mr Popoola Alaba was arrested over an alleged petition from an unnamed petitioner, yet failed to disclose the identity, status or locus of that petitioner, thereby denying Nigerians the opportunity to assess the credibility or possible political motivation behind such allegations.”

 

“Is this now the standard investigative procedure of the Nigeria Police Force?

Is invitation no longer part of criminal investigation? Has due process been completely abandoned whenever an any of our party leader is involved? These are legitimate questions demanding immediate answers, “Salam, who currently represents Ede/Egbedore/ Ejigbo/Awo Federal Constituency queried.

 

He continued, “Equally condemnable is the arrest of a young legal practitioner and dedicated Accord operative in Ward 4, Ido-Osun, Egbedore Local Government Area, Barrister Olaniyan Sodiq. His alleged offence was that he challenged what he considered to be the unlawful interference of an APC leader in the statutory responsibility of INEC during the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards.”

 

Salam further stated that than investigate the reported interference with INEC’s lawful activities, the Police chose to arrest the citizen who raised the alarm, describing the development as “indefensible and a dangerous assault on civic responsibility.”

 

He, therefore, called on the IGP to urgently intervene by ensuring that officers under his command in Osun State operate strictly within the confines of the Constitution and the law and ensure Nigerians are not :no_smoking: persecuted because of political opinion or legitimate democratic association.