By Richard Akintade, Osogbo
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Osun State has accussed the All Progressives Congress, APC in the state of plans in conjunction with men of the Nigerian Police to intimidate, harass as well as mass arrest and detention of their members ahead of the forthcoming general election.
This was contained in an official statement issued and made available to newsmen by the state Chairman of the party, Hon. Olasoji Adagunodo on Tuesday, in Osogbo, the State capital.
Adagunodo said, “they have begun the operation in Ila Orangun, in Ila local government area of the state.”
“Reliable information confirmed that they went to the house of a PDP member with posters of APC and started pasting it and at the same time brought in police who came into the house to make arrest of those who were holding meetings that they were disturbing the people pasting the posters, they took them to the station and locked them up” Adagunodo explained.
One of such incidence according to the PDP Chairman is the arrest, detention and refusal of bail on arguments over pasting of posters by Magistrate Aluko, saying “Ila is volatile”
Adagunodo said it is becoming too obvious that the threat of the APC about a week ago that they will use the Police and the Judiciary to harass and detain members of his party, before the elections and keep them until after the elections is been carried out.
According to the party Chairman, those arrested and now being remanded from Ila local government area of the state are Ajiboye Lateef,
Olayole Kunle, Abolarin Michael, Rafiu Ibraheen and Basiru Oyeniyi.
Adagunodo said the party is aware of the said secret meeting where it was decided that they will use biased members of the judiciary to carry out their clandestine moves.
Adagunodo, however, called on the Chief Judge to call members of the Judiciary under her to order and maintain their neutrality at all time.
The PDP therefore, calls on the ruling party to call its members to order,because “no one has monopoly of violence or harassment”.
“We as a party are peace lovers and the love for our state has made us to maintain our calm in the face of this brazing robbery of our mandate and the arrogant grandstanding of the shameless vote robbers” Adagunodo concluded.
