By Sunday Oguntuyi, Osogbo
Members of the National Assembly and Osun State House of Assembly elected under the Accord Party have called for the immediate redeployment of the Commissioner of Police in Osun State, Mr. Ibrahim Gotan, over alleged partisanship and what they described as his ineffective response to rising political violence in the state.
The lawmakers also raised concerns over what they alleged to be a plot by the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) to instigate violence ahead of the August 15 governorship election in the state.
Addressing a press conference on Friday at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre in Osogbo, the Accord Party legislative caucus – which includes members of the National Assembly and the Osun State House of Assembly – alleged that intelligence reports indicated plans to destabilise the state ahead of the poll.
Speaking on behalf of the caucus, Senator Lere Oyewumi, Hon. Bamidele Salam and Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Hon. Olumide Egbedun, alleged that the APC and its governorship candidate were behind plans to sponsor violence and disrupt the electoral process.
They claimed the alleged objective was to create instability that could justify the declaration of a state of emergency in Osun State prior to the election.
According to the lawmakers, the purported plan includes attacks on Accord Party members, destruction of campaign materials, vandalisation of billboards, and disruption of political rallies across the state.
“The APC candidate and leaders of the party, having realised their electoral weakness, are allegedly planning to unleash violence and mayhem ahead of the election,” the caucus said.
The lawmakers further alleged that supporters of the Accord Party had been targeted in recent incidents of political violence in parts of Osun State, including Osogbo, Ile-Ife and Ede.
They cited the alleged shooting of an Accord Party chairman in Osogbo Local Government Area, Hon. Asimiyu Ajibola, who they said is currently receiving treatment for gunshot injuries.
The caucus also claimed that repeated attacks on party supporters had not been adequately investigated or prosecuted by security agencies, despite several petitions submitted to relevant authorities.
Expressing dissatisfaction with the performance of the Osun State Police Command, the lawmakers accused the command of failing to maintain neutrality in political matters and not taking decisive action against perpetrators of violence.
They specifically faulted Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Gotan, alleging that his conduct had raised concerns about impartiality and effective policing ahead of the election.
The lawmakers also alleged that campaign materials and billboards belonging to the Accord Party had been repeatedly vandalised without arrests or meaningful investigations by law enforcement agencies.
They further accused the police leadership of undermining community-based security initiatives at a time of heightened security concerns across the state.
Consequently, the caucus called on the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Olatunji Disu, to immediately redeploy the Commissioner of Police in order to restore public confidence in the neutrality of security operations ahead of the election.
They said petitions detailing their concerns had already been submitted to the office of the Inspector-General for review and action.
The lawmakers also demanded the arrest and prosecution of individuals allegedly involved in attacks on Accord Party members and supporters.
Responding to allegations by the APC that the state government was harbouring political thugs within Government House, the caucus dismissed the claim as false and politically motivated, insisting that the facility is strictly used for official government business.
They urged President Bola Tinubu to direct security agencies to remain professional, neutral and committed to ensuring a peaceful electoral process in the state.
The legislators also called on civil society organisations, election observers, the media, the National Peace Committee and international partners to closely monitor developments in Osun State ahead of the election.
Reaffirming their commitment to peaceful political engagement, the lawmakers stressed that residents of the state desire a violence-free electoral process that allows citizens to freely exercise their democratic rights.
They warned that failure to address emerging threats to peace could undermine the credibility of the election and democratic governance in the state.
The caucus concluded by urging all stakeholders to prioritise peace, accountability and adherence to democratic principles as the governorship election approaches.