Osun State Police Command has dismissed allegations by the Imole Campaign Council that it compiled a list of political figures for arrest ahead of the August 15 governorship election.

The police also insisted that its operations are aimed solely at combating crime across the state.

The allegations were made on Sunday by The Imole Campaign Council, TICC, which is coordinating the re-election campaign of Governor Ademola Adeleke. 

The council claimed that the police had drawn up a list of 46 individuals, including a serving commissioner, for arrest before the election.

Addressing journalists in Osogbo, the Deputy Director-General of the campaign council, Kolapo Alimi, alleged that most of those listed were from Ikire, the headquarters of Irewole Local Government Area. 

He claimed that the Commissioner for Energy, Ademola Adeyemo, was among those allegedly marked for arrest.

Alimi also alleged that an Accord chieftain in Ikire, Taofeek Akinyemi, who was reportedly shot by hoodlums, was arrested and detained after reporting the incident to the police.

The Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment further accused an operative of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, of collaborating with political opponents to facilitate the alleged mass arrest of Accord members in Ikire as part of a plan to disrupt the party’s campaign activities.

He said, “Even more alarming are the credible security reports reaching the leadership of the Imole Campaign Council regarding a coordinated ‘hit list’ drawn up by political opponents in collusion with compromised security operatives. Several leaders of the Accord Party and prominent opposition figures have been penned down for systematic, unlawful arrests in the days leading up to the election.”

Alimi further alleged that the 46 individuals listed for arrest included “Ademola Adeyemo, Idris Idowu Jooda, Pastor Paul Akinola, Mukaila Yusuf, Dr Kazeem Atoba, Yesiru Olaniyi, Alhaji Olokeola, Wale Olunloye, Taye Adeyemo, Moshood Jolaiya, Lere Ogungbade, Kola Akinpelu, Tiri Adepoju and Pastor Femi Oladiran, among others.”

He demanded the immediate release of Akinyemi or his arraignment before a competent court. Alimi also called on the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to direct the Osun State Police Command, the State Criminal Investigation Department and special squads from Abuja to halt what he described as arbitrary arrests and harassment of opposition leaders.

The campaign council additionally urged the Force Headquarters to review security deployments to Osun ahead of the election, insisting that only professional, neutral and impartial security personnel should be assigned to election duties.

Responding to the allegations, the Police Public Relations Officer for the Osun State Police Command, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, denied that the police had compiled any arrest list or were targeting members of any political party.

Ojelabi said, “We are raiding black spots and criminal hideouts every day to sanitise the environment for the forthcoming election, and this raid is not targeted at any individual, group of persons or political party. It is targeted at criminal hideouts. We don’t have any list anywhere; the police do not formulate any list.”

He added that the command would continue intelligence-led operations against criminal elements, urging parents to discourage their children from late-night movements and association with individuals with criminal records. 

Ojelabi also noted that while the state government had proposed a joint security task force, the police had yet to see its implementation, saying such an arrangement would demonstrate that security operations were not being carried out by the police alone.

A coalition of Christian and human rights groups has petitioned United States President Donald Trump, the US Congress and diplomatic missions over the planned retention of the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket in Nigeria’s 2027 election.

 The groups, operating under the umbrella of the Christian Youth Alliance of Nigeria (CYAN), warned that the arrangement poses a serious threat to Christians across the country, particularly in Northern Nigeria. 

In a petition signed by its leaders and made available to journalists in Jos, Plateau State, the coalition urged the international community to pay closer attention to what it described as worsening insecurity affecting Christian communities. 

According to the group, “the continuation of the Muslim-Muslim ticket by President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima could further deepen religious divisions and political exclusion”. 

CYAN argued that the 2023 presidential ticket departed from Nigeria’s long-standing tradition of balancing the country’s top political offices along religious lines. 

The coalition also criticized the Federal Government’s policy of rehabilitating and reintegrating repentant terrorists, insisting that individuals involved in acts of terrorism should face prosecution rather than government-supported reintegration programmes. 

The petition further urged the US government to maintain Nigeria’s designation as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) and to tie any future review of that status to independently verified improvements in the protection of Christian communities. 

The group called for transparent investigations into major attacks on Christian communities, including incidents in Plateau, Benue and other states, while demanding sustained humanitarian support for displaced victims. 

CYAN also requested an investigation into alleged foreign influence in Nigeria’s political process, claiming that some Arab countries may be supporting efforts to retain the Muslim-Muslim ticket ahead of the 2027 election. 

The coalition maintained that Nigeria’s religious diversity should be reflected in its political leadership and urged both local and international stakeholders to ensure fairness, inclusion and protection for all citizens regardless of faith. 

​Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke has called on residents of the state to ignore alleged threats and intimidation ahead of the August 15 governorship election and come out in large numbers to vote.

Speaking during a church service in Osogbo on Sunday, Adeleke accused opposition figures in the state of resorting to violence after losing public support.

 He expressed confidence in securing a second term, citing his administration’s achievements in workers’ welfare, healthcare, education, infrastructure and agriculture.

The governor assured residents that adequate measures were being taken to guarantee their safety during the election and urged them to vote according to their conscience.

Meanwhile, the Imole Campaign Council raised concerns over what it described as a tense political atmosphere in the state ahead of the poll. 

The council alleged that dozens of Accord Party leaders and other political figures had been targeted for arrest in the run-up to the election and called on security agencies to ensure fairness and professionalism.

The council also appealed to the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, and other security chiefs to safeguard the democratic process and prevent any form of political intimidation.

Accord Party presidential candidate, Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, urged party members in Osun to remain loyal and work for the party’s success despite recent internal disagreements. 

He criticised what he described as acts of disloyalty but insisted that party supporters should stay focused on the election.

Also, the Osun State chapter of the African Action Congress (AAC) faulted the decision of some governorship candidates to boycott a televised debate, arguing that public debates are essential for accountability and democratic engagement.

On his part, APC chieftain, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, urged the police to remain neutral and ensure a peaceful, credible and violence-free election, stressing that voters must be adequately protected before, during and after the poll.