Ahead of the Osun State governorship election, the Imole Campaign Council has raised an alarm over an alleged plot to clamp down on opposition leaders.
Speaking at a press conference in Osogbo, the campaign’s Deputy Director-General, Kolapo Alimi, claimed that the group uncovered a targeted hit list containing the names of 46 Accord Party leaders scheduled for arrest on fabricated charges and transfer to Abuja to disenfranchise them during the upcoming poll.
In light of these allegations, the campaign council appealed to the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, requesting an immediate directive for the Osun State Police Command, the State Criminal Investigation Department, and visiting special units from Abuja to stop harassing and arbitrarily detaining opposition figures.
To demonstrate what it described as ongoing political victimisation, the campaign council cited the recent detention of one of its members, Taofeek Akinyemi, in Ikire.
According to the council, Akinyemi was arrested by police operatives after sharing a video online detailing an earlier shooting incident at his business premises that he had already reported to the authorities.
The campaign council condemned his arrest as an unjust reversal that turned a victim into an accused party, demanding his immediate release or a prompt arraignment in court if any legitimate evidence exists. As of the time of this report, the Osun State Police command is yet to issue an official response to the claims.