Voice Air Media News Update
THE Osun State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party has cried to President Muhammadu Buhari and Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba to over what it termed dictatorial raid and arrest of its leaders and members by the All Progressives Congress using the instrumentality of the police.
The Caretaker Chairman of the Osun PDP, Dr Adekunle Akindele made the allegations on Friday during a press conference in Osogbo.
Akindele said the Osun APC has hired some armed and imported them into the State to perpetrate the act.
The PDP Chairman said, “As I am addressing you today, PDP leaders are being hunted and arrested in Gestapo style. Across Osun state, houses of our leaders are being surrounded and raided even without search warrant. Where our leaders are not at home, their families are arrested and their cars taken away on various false pretext.
“An undemocratic statewide operation is ongoing designed to pick and lock up prominent PDP leaders ahead of next state election. Our surprise is that such mass raid is being conducted against a ruling political party in clear violation of fundamental human rights of those affected.
“We want to note particularly that instead of arresting APC members who are attacking PDP members on daily basis, the said statewide raid is targeting the victims instead of the culprits. PDP members are the victims of APC violence. Now PDP members are the ones being arrested.”
The ruling party in the State called on the IGP to immediately redeploy the CP Elections in Osun, Abayomi Oladipo stating that he is not professional.
Osun PDP caretaker chairman, Adekunle Akindele during the press briefing
“Unfortunately, the Police Commissioner has not being professional in the discharge of his duties. All petitions from PDP on violent attacks on our members were not attended to. We have come to the conclusion that the the state election Commissioner is biased and partisan.
“We call for his redeployment with immediate effect.” Akindele said.
In its reaction, the APC in statement by its Acting Chairman, Tajudeen Lawal said the PDP was uncharitable in its allegations.
Lawal said the presence of Policemen in the State should not be a source of worry to the PDP and the Ademola Adeleke-led government if it’s not running a “nest of killers”. He added that the APC has at different times held press conferences to inform the world of attacks on its members by the PDP.
If Adeleke and the expired state caretaker chairman of the state PDP have no skeleton in their cupboards, there would not be any reason for them to make an issue with the police wherever and whenever they choose to carry out their statutory duties of effective policing.
It is apposite to state that Mr. Oyetola and Senator Omisore, both leaders of our party are peace-loving just like the other leaders and members of our party in Osun State in particular and the nation in general.
It is worth recalling that for twelve years that our party, the APC, was in power in Osun State, there was no record of incidents of political killings, whereas no fewer than 30 members of our party have been sent to the great beyond by the killer squad recruited and maintained by the Governor Ademola Adeleke administration within the 100 days of his administration.
Governor Adeleke and the leadership of his party, the PDP, cannot pretend not to know that the whole state was militarized by their heavily armed political thugs who were attacking the members of the opposition with guns, cutlasses, knives, cudgels, acid and juju during the last presidential and national assembly elections.
Police react
When contacted, the spokesperson for Osun Police Command, Yemisi Opalola described the allegation of unprofessional conduct of the CP Elections as lie, stating that the police boss has been discharging his duties effectively since his assumption.
She also dismissed the allegations of illegal arrest of PDP members, stating that only criminals are being picked by the police.
“It’s unfounded that we’re arresting members of a political party. The police is only arresting criminal elements regardless of their political affiliations.”