Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State has expressed worry over alleged illegal arrest of its leaders across the state ahead of Saturday’s House of Assembly election.
The Caretaker Chairman, Dr. Akindele Adekunle, addressing reporters at the weekend at the PDP secretariat in Osogbo, called for redeployment of the Commissioner of Police for Election, Oladipo Abayomi, for alleged bias.
He said the police authority had failed to attend to petitions against the attack on PDP members sent to his office.
Adekunle said: “The police commissioner for election has not been professional in the discharge of his duties. Petitions from PDP on attacks on our members were not attended to. We have concluded that Abayomi is biased and partisan. We call for his redeployment with immediate effect.
“PDP leaders are being hunted and arrested across Osun State; the homes of our leaders are being surrounded and raided even without search warrants. These are plots to disrupt the peace of Osun State ahead of the rescheduled House of Assembly election slated for Saturday.”
However, All Progressives Congress (APC) in a statement by its Acting Chairman, Tajudeen Lawal, issued by the party’s Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, described the allegation as “sweeping, unfounded and unsubstantiated.”
The party alleged that it was PDP thugs that unleashed mayhem on the people of the state, particularly APC members, during the last general election held on February 25.
APC also alleged that about 10 of its members were killed, while many were injured by suspected hoodlums loyal to the PDP.