The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has raised the alarm over an alleged plot to arrest Rauf Aregbesola, its national secretary, ahead of Saturday’s governorship election in Osun state.
In a statement issued on Wednesday night, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC national publicity secretary, said the party received “credible reports” of plans to arrest the former governor of Osun days before the gubernatorial poll in the south-west state.
“Given the pattern of intimidation, harassment and misuse of state institutions that has increasingly characterised the conduct of this government towards the opposition, we cannot afford to dismiss these reports,” Abdullahi said.
The ADC spokesperson said if any security agency had lawful grounds to invite Aregbesola, such an invitation should be made through established legal procedures.
“An arrest on the eve of an election in which his party is participating would invite only one reasonable conclusion: that the purpose is to prevent him from leading and coordinating the party’s election activities. We therefore put the Federal Government and the security agencies on notice,” Abdullahi said.
“The eyes of Nigerians are on Osun. Whatever happens before, during and after Saturday’s election will be judged not by the explanations offered afterwards, but by the actions taken now.”
Abdullahi said the federal government must be “wary of doing anything that could plunge Osun state into needless crisis”.
“Nigeria is still a democracy, and the government would do well to remember that before Saturday,” he added.
There have been heightened tensions in Osun ahead of the governorship election, with political parties and their supporters engaging in heated exchanges and trading allegations of intimidation and harassment.
