The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) has cautioned the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to stop accusing the police of being bias.
This is as the Osun APC has asked the PDP in the state to come forward with the names of its leaders who have been arrested or harassed by the Nigerian Police.
This warning was issued as part of its reaction to the PDP allegations through its acting Chairman in a statement signed by Kola Olabisi, the party’s Director of Media and Information on Monday.
While accusing the Osun PDP of fabricating lies, it added that the Police Command in the state has been busy carrying out its statutory duty of securing the lives and properties of residents of the state.
He said, “A discerning mind would not hesitate to inquire from the state PDP caretaker chairman if some of the notorious political hoodlums who are having several murder cases hanging on their necks are the leaders of the ruling party that the PDP chairman is referring to as their leaders?
“Any rational human being would find it difficult to believe the PDP chairman, the embattled Governor Adeleke and their co-travellers for not empathizing over the killings of the innocent members of the Osun APC in order to rig the last elections for their candidates.
“It is absurd that the Osun State PDP and Adeleke are spoiling for war with the Inspector-General of Police for having the candour to go after those who are fugitive to justice in the state.”
Lawal while wondering if it was within the purview of the PDP chairman to teach the police how to do their job added that the victory of the PDP in the February 25, 2023, presidential and national assembly elections in Osun State is still intoxicating the state caretaker chairman to the extent that it is taking a strange and dangerous dimension.
The party also called on the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba Alkali to disregard the allegations coming from the Osun PDP since they are only carrying out their constitutional role of arresting criminals and ensuring justice is achieved.
“The Inspector-General of Police should disregard the allegations of the Osun State PDP handlers as they are only judging other people and establishments by their own standards.
“It is the constitutional role of the police to apprehend any suspect with a view to interrogating and prosecuting such suspect and ensure that justice is achieved.”
News had reported that the Osun PDP had on Sunday in a statement by Akindele Adekunle, its caretaker chairman in Osun accused the police of indiscriminate arrest of the leaders of the party across the state ahead of the March 18, 2023 House of Assembly election.
Akindele in the statement also warned that if the undue harassment of its members is not put to a stop, it will occupy all the police stations across the state.
The party, while maintaining that it is the ruling party in the state and its members are law-abiding citizens, ruled out resorting to self-help but added that if the harassment continued, it would mobilise and storm all police posts in peaceful protests so that all their members in the state would be arrested.
Recall that the Osun PDP and All Progressives Congress (APC) have been at each other’s necks before the 2023 general elections.
Both parties have alleged, and counter-alleged each other of killings, murder, violence, billboard and campaign poster vandalism.
The Osun APC has also accused the state Police Command of bias and impartiality towards it.
The Osun APC prior to the Presidential and National Assembly election has alleged that the new Commissioner of Police, Patrick Kehinde Longe was deployed to the aid to perfect the rigging machinery of the PDP.
The party also accused the Chief Security Officer to Governor Ademola Adeleke, CSP Adekunle Omoyele of being the brain behind the alleged extra-judicial killings of their members before, during and after the February 25 elections.
In the wake of the allegations, news made the round that CSP Omoyele had been redeployed from the state but the Osun Police Command spokesperson, Yemisi Opalola debunked the rumour.
Opalola stated that CSP Omoyele was only redeployed on duty and after the completion of his assignment, he will be relisted back to Osun.
Also, responding to the allegations of bias from both political parties, Opalola had maintained that the Police Command in the state was neutral as it did not support any political party or politicians.
Matters came to a head a few weeks to the presidential and National Assembly elections when there were reported incidents of killings perpetrated in the Ife-Ijesa axis of the state.
The APC Osun East Senatorial District candidate, Ajibola Famurewa, was arrested but eventually released.
The Osun PDP later went on to score a 100 percent victory clinching the three senatorial and nine federal House of Representatives seats.
