PRESS CONFERENCE BY THE ACCORD CANDIDATES FOR THE NATIONAL AND STATE ASSEMBLIES, OSUN STATE
Addressed by: Hon. Bamidele Salam, Accord Candidate for Ede Federal Constituency
July 26, 2026
Gentlemen of the Press,
We have invited you here again today as candidates of the Accord in the forthcoming 2027 General Elections in Osun State 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.
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Even more disturbing, the Command failed to state whether Mr Popoola Alaba had ever been invited to respond to the purported petition before armed officers resorted to a commando-style arrest and subsequent transfer to Abuja as though he were a convicted criminal or a fugitive.
a. Is this now the standard investigative procedure of the Nigeria Police Force?
b. Is invitation no longer part of criminal investigation?
c. Has due process been completely abandoned whenever an any of our party leader is involved?
These are legitimate questions demanding immediate answers.
6. 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.
7. Rather than investigate the reported interference with INEC’s lawful activities, the Police chose to arrest the citizen who raised the alarm. This action is reckless, indefensible and a dangerous assault on civic responsibility.
8. We therefore demand the immediate and unconditional release of Barrister Olaniyan Sodiq without further delay.
9. As candidates of the Accord, we are also not unaware of disturbing intelligence regarding an alleged nocturnal meeting involving the Commissioner of Police in Osun State, Mr Ibrahim Gotan, another head of a security agency and Senator Francis Adenigba Fadahunsi of the APC, where arrangements were allegedly concluded to begin systematically hounding leaders and members of the Accord through frivolous allegations and unlawful detention. Whether this intelligence is true or not, recent events unfortunately appear to give it disturbing credibility.
10. We are reliably informed that our Senatorial candidate for Osun East Senatorial District, Hon Ibukun Fadipe, alongside several other leaders of our party, particularly within the Ijesa axis, have allegedly been marked for arrest in the coming days using the same questionable methods deployed against Mr Popoola Alaba. If this is true, then democracy in Osun State is under serious threat.
11. We wish to make it abundantly clear that frustration induced intimidation will neither weaken our resolve nor diminish the overwhelming support our party continues to enjoy across the state.
12. We understand the growing frustration within the APC arising from the unmistakable mood of the electorate and the increasing rejection of the party ahead of the elections. However, political frustration must never become an excuse for weaponising state institutions against law-abiding citizens.
13. Even more disturbing are reports suggesting plans to arrest and detain leaders of organised labour in Osun State, with the active involvement of the State Police Command. We consider this a direct assault on democratic freedoms.
14. We therefore call on the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Olatunji Disu, to urgently intervene by ensuring that officers under his command in Osun State operate strictly within the confines of the Constitution and the law. No Nigerian should be persecuted because of political opinion or legitimate democratic association.
15. One is compelled to ask: what offence have labour leaders committed to deserve threats to their liberty? If their perceived support for the administration of Governor Ademola Jackson Nurudeen Adeleke is considered an offence, then those behind these actions should understand that support earned through responsible governance cannot be criminalised. The workers of Osun State have experienced different administrations and are perfectly entitled to form independent opinions based on their own lived experiences.
16. Finally, we call on Senator Francis Adenigba Fadahunsi to exercise restraint and conduct himself in a manner befitting his age and public status. We have received disturbing reports alleging plans to recruit thousands of hoodlums to masquerade as security operatives for the purpose of intimidating innocent citizens during the elections. Such allegations, if true, represent a grave danger to public peace and democratic stability. Senator Fadahunsi has benefited immensely from the goodwill of the people of Osun State. It would therefore be unfortunate if his name became associated with any action capable of endangering innocent lives or undermining the integrity of our democratic process.
Our prayers:
1. We call on Mr President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR to weigh on the disturbing trend of Police harassment, intimidation and persecution of our party leaders and members in Osun state as we move closer to the August 15th Governorship Election. Mr President is also urged to direct the Inspector General of Police in particular and all heads of security agencies in general to maintain neutrality, professionalism and regard for rule of law and protection of constitutionally guaranteed rights in Osun state before, during and after the August election.
2. We call for the immediate release of Mr Alaba Ibrahim Popoola, the House of Representatives candidate for Ijesa South, Mr Sodiq Akinola Olaniyan, a law abiding law student detained in a criminal cell on allegation of cyber stalking and all other persons arrested without reasonable and lawful reasons in various parts of Osun state
3. The IGP should launch an investigation into the alleged collaboration of CP Gotan and Senator Fadahunsi to witch-hunt Accord leaders ahead of the election. Furthermore, We demand an independent probe into the allegations of importation of thugs, fake/ unauthorised security personnel into Ijesa-land as well as unlawful issuance of arrest directive by Senator Francis Fadahunsi in connivance with some elements in the Osun State police command.
4. We call on the National Human Rights Commission, Nigeria Bar Association, the National Peace Committee, the Media and other bodies to raise a voice and act in defence of the Peace loving people of Osun State who are currently under APC political siege aided by officers and men of the Nigeria Police Force.
Let it be known today as we have always maintained that the Accord remains committed to peaceful, issue-based and democratic participation in the forthcoming elections.
We call upon the Inspector-General of Police, the Police Service Commission, INEC, civil society organisations, the National Human Rights Commission and all lovers of democracy to closely monitor developments in Osun State before these disturbing trends escalate into a full-blown assault on constitutional democracy.
History will judge every institution and every individual according to the role they played at this critical moment.
Thank you, and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
