Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has raised the alarm over an alleged police directive to arrest leaders of the Accord Party ahead of the state’s governorship election scheduled for August 15, 2026.
Adeleke made the allegation on Tuesday during an emergency press briefing, where he addressed what he described as two major developments threatening the state’s political process.
The governor said he had received credible reports that a police signal had directed the immediate arrest of Accord Party leaders and their transfer to Abuja, where they would allegedly be detained until after the Saturday election.
Adeleke said he had spoken with the Inspector-General of Police over the alleged directive, urging him to publicly clarify whether such an order had been issued.
According to the governor, arresting opposition party leaders just before an election would amount to political intimidation and an attempt to undermine the electoral process.
“I am appealing to him that this development, if true, is illegal, and presents Nigeria as a lawless country,” Adeleke said.
He alleged that more than 62 Accord Party leaders were already being held in police custody without any reasons, describing the situation as unacceptable in a democracy.
The governor also called on the police authorities to halt what he described as the “illegal operations” of the Intelligence Response Team (IRT), which he alleged had been arresting Accord Party members across different local government areas in the state.
Adeleke further raised concerns over a purported viral video involving Senator Francis Fadahunsi, in which the governor alleged that the lawmaker called for violence against Accord Party leaders and their families.
He described the alleged comments as going beyond political rivalry and constituting a national security concern.
“This is now beyond politics. This is now a national security threat that requires the attention of Mr President through the office of the National Security Adviser,” Adeleke said.
The governor said he had raised the matter with the Inspector-General of Police and demanded an investigation into the senator.
He added that the IGP had confirmed seeing the video and assured him that appropriate action would be taken.
Adeleke also urged the police and Department of State Services (DSS) to investigate the alleged incitement and take appropriate action if the contents of the video are established to constitute an offence.
He appealed to security agencies to operate within the law and ensure that the rights of all political parties and their supporters are protected before, during and after the election.
The governor’s latest allegations follows heightened political tension in Osun ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
There have also been previous disputes over the arrest of Accord Party members.
In July, the Imole Campaign Council and police authorities disagreed over the arrest of Accord Party House of Representatives candidate Popoola Alaba.
Police said he was arrested over a petition alleging illegal mining, while the campaign council described the arrest as politically motivated.
