The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has raised concerns over an alleged plan by security agencies to arrest its National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, ahead of Saturday’s governorship election in Osun State.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, raised the alarm in a statement issued on Wednesday, saying the party had received what it described as “credible reports” of plans to arrest the former Osun State governor in the days leading to the election.
Abdullahi said the allegation was particularly troubling against the backdrop of what the party described as a pattern of “intimidation, harassment and misuse of state institutions” against opposition parties.
“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,” he said.
Aregbesola served as Osun governor between 2010 and 2018 before becoming Minister of the Interior. He is currently the National Secretary of the ADC.
The party said it would not object to security agencies inviting Aregbesola if they had legitimate reasons to do so, but insisted that any such action must follow due process.
“Ogbeni Aregbesola is a former Governor of Osun State, a former Minister of the Federal Republic and the National Secretary of the opposition political party. If any security agency has a lawful reason to invite him, there are established procedures for doing so,” the statement said.
However, the ADC argued that arresting its national secretary shortly before an election in which the party is participating would raise questions about the motive behind such an action.
“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,” it said.
The opposition party consequently urged the Federal Government and security agencies to avoid actions that could undermine the credibility of the election or heighten political tension in the state.
“The eyes of Nigerians are on Osun,” Abdullahi said.
“Whatever happens before, during and after Saturday’s election will be judged not by the explanations offered afterwards, but by the actions taken now.”
The ADC also warned the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government against taking any step capable of plunging Osun into what it described as a needless crisis.
“The APC 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,” the party said.
(The Sun)