The National Chairman of Accord, Maxwell Mgbudem, on Thursday accused the Osun State Police Command of partisanship ahead of the August 15 governorship election, alleging the harassment, arrest and detention of the party’s members and government officials.
The party described the development as a serious threat to Nigeria’s democracy and demanded the immediate release of all its detained members.
Mgbudem also renewed the party’s call for the removal of the Osun State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, alleging that he had become partisan in the conduct of security operations ahead of the poll.
He claimed that while Accord had been conducting peaceful grassroots campaigns across the state, members of the opposition All Progressives Congress, working with police operatives and political thugs, had allegedly launched coordinated attacks aimed at frustrating the party’s campaign.
According to him, previous attacks on the party’s leaders, supporters, campaign offices and billboards were reported to security agencies, but no arrests or prosecutions were made.
“It was this apparent Police compromise that forced Accord to demand the removal of the Osun State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, as he has become partisan,” Mgbudem said.
He further alleged that about 100 Accord leaders, candidates, members and supporters had been arrested across Osun State, with some reportedly transferred to Abuja.
According to him, the arrests were politically motivated and designed to weaken the party before the election.
Mgbudem also alleged that police operatives recently invaded the residences of six commissioners and the Secretary to the State Government in what he described as “Gestapo-style operations.”
He said, “Accord condemns in strong terms this reprehensible targeted harassment, intimidation, oppression, arrest and detention of top government officials, party leaders and members by the Police in Osun State without charges preferred against them.”
The party argued that it was contradictory for security agencies to ignore reported attacks on its members while allegedly arresting its officials without filing charges.
Mgbudem called on President Bola Tinubu, the National Security Adviser, the Inspector-General of Police, civil society organisations and the international community to intervene and ensure a peaceful, credible and violence-free governorship election.
He insisted that the removal of the state police commissioner was necessary to guarantee a level playing field for all political parties.
The Accord chairman maintained that despite what he described as intimidation, the party remained committed to the democratic process and urged its supporters to remain peaceful and law-abiding.
“The ballot is stronger than the bullet,” he said, expressing confidence that voters would freely decide the outcome of the governorship election on August 15.
The Nigeria Police Force and the All Progressives Congress had not responded to the allegations as of the time of filing this report.
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