The Imole Campaign Council and the Osun State Police Command have disagreed over the arrest of Accord Party House of Representatives candidate for Ijesa South Federal Constituency, Popoola Alaba. The dispute followed Alaba’s arrest on Saturday, with both sides giving different accounts of what happened.
In a statement issued by the Chairman of its Media and Publicity Committee, Bamidele Salam, the campaign council called for Alaba’s immediate and unconditional release. The council claimed that Alaba and three other members of the Accord Party were taken away by police officers while meeting with party canvassers.
According to the council, the officers allegedly forced the group into their vehicles and later took Alaba to the Osun State Police Command headquarters in Osogbo. It also alleged that some party members were assaulted during the operation.
The campaign council further claimed that the arrest was carried out to prevent Alaba and other Accord Party leaders from taking part in activities ahead of the election. It also alleged that the operation was linked to Senator Francis Fadahunsi, who represents Osun East Senatorial District, and accused the police of acting for political reasons.
The council also referred to the killing of an Accord Party member, Yomi Akanji, who was reportedly shot by suspected political thugs near his residence in the Olude area of Osogbo on Friday evening. It said the incident and Alaba’s arrest raised concerns about the safety of opposition party members in the state.
However, the Osun State Police Command rejected the allegations. Police spokesperson Abiodun Ojelabi said Alaba was arrested in connection with a petition dated July 4 that alleged illegal mining and other offences.
Ojelabi explained that the petition was first submitted to the Inspector-General of Police before it was transferred to the Osun command for investigation. He said officers from Abuja worked together with personnel from the state command during the operation.
The police also alleged that four people who were arrested alongside Alaba attacked officers while trying to free him. According to the command, the group also damaged a police vehicle during the incident.
Meanwhile, Senator Francis Fadahunsi’s media adviser, Sam Segun-Progress, denied claims linking the lawmaker to the arrest. He described the allegations as baseless and said there was no evidence connecting the senator to the police operation.
Segun-Progress maintained that Fadahunsi had no involvement in the matter and urged those making the allegations to avoid dragging the senator into an issue that, according to him, has no connection to his official duties.
The disagreement between the campaign council and the police has added another layer of tension to the political atmosphere in Osun State ahead of the elections.