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ADC raises alarm over alleged plan to arrest Aregbesola days before Osun guber poll
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) said it received “credible reports” of plans to arrest its national secretary and former governor of Osun State Rauf Aregbesola, days before Saturday’s governorship election in Osun.
This was disclosed in a statement on Wednesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, in which the party raised concerns over what it 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,” Abdullahi said.
“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 added.
The party stressed that an arrest of its national secretary days before the election would indicate a clear plan to prevent him from coordinating electoral activities for the party in the state, warning the Federal Government and security agencies against taking any action that could cause tension or undermine the credibility of the forthcoming election.
“The eyes of Nigerians are on Osun. 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 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,” Abdullahi added.
Aregbesola is currently the national secretary of the ADC, having served as governor of Osun State from 2010 to 2018 and as minister of interior from 2019 to 2023 under the presidency of Late Muhammadu Buhari.
