Osun Accord Candidates Seek Tinubu’s Intervention Over Alleged Police Intimidation

Accord Party candidates accused police of intimidation in Osun and appealed to President Tinubu for intervention.

Candidates of the Accord Party contesting the 2027 National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections in Osun State have appealed to President Bola Tinubu to intervene over what they described as sustained police intimidation and harassment of the party’s leaders and members.

Speaking on behalf of the candidates during a press briefing on Sunday, the lawmaker representing Ede North/Ede South/Egbedore/Ejigbo Federal Constituency, Bamidele Salam, alleged that security agencies were targeting Accord members through unlawful arrests and detention.

Salam demanded the immediate release of Alaba Ibrahim Popoola, the party’s House of Representatives candidate for Ijesa South Federal Constituency, and Sodiq Olaniyan, a law student, who he claimed was being held over allegations of cyberstalking.

According to him, Olaniyan’s arrest followed his criticism of what he described as the unlawful interference of an APC leader in the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“Rather than investigate the reported interference with INEC’s lawful activities, the police chose to arrest the citizen who raised the alarm,” Salam said.

He also questioned the circumstances surrounding Popoola’s arrest, alleging that police failed to disclose the identity of the petitioner behind the complaint.

Salam further alleged that Senator Francis Fadahunsi, who represents Osun East Senatorial District, had held meetings with security chiefs where plans were allegedly made to arrest more Accord leaders on what he described as frivolous allegations.

He claimed the party’s senatorial candidate for Osun East, Ibukun Fadipe, and other Accord leaders in the Ijesa axis had also been marked for arrest.

The Accord candidates urged President Tinubu to intervene to prevent what they described as a threat to democracy ahead of the August 15 governorship election in the state.

Responding to the allegations, Sam Segun-Progress, media adviser to Senator Fadahunsi, dismissed the claims as false.

He said the senator’s popularity at the grassroots had unsettled political opponents, adding that similar allegations had been made against him in previous election cycles and later proved unfounded.