With barely 10 days to the August 15 governorship election in Osun State, the political atmosphere has become increasingly charged as the All Progressives Congress (APC) accused Governor Ademola Adeleke of allegedly plotting to deploy the judiciary to arrest and detain newly inaugurated leaders of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) across the state.
The allegations, contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by the APC Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, claimed that the governor was working in concert with members of the Accord Party and a High Court judge in Osogbo to procure warrants for the arrest and remand of the union’s state chairman as well as chairmen in all local government areas.
According to the opposition party, the alleged plan is aimed at intimidating the leadership of the transport union and creating an atmosphere of fear ahead of the keenly contested governorship election.
The APC alleged that the proposed legal action stems from a court case reportedly instituted by the state government against some members of the newly sworn-in NURTW executives over what it described as politically motivated allegations.
The party further claimed that rather than personally serving the affected officials with court processes, efforts were allegedly underway to obtain an order permitting substituted service, which it said would pave the way for warrants of arrest and subsequent detention.
The statement alleged that Governor Adeleke’s remarks at a political rally in Osogbo on Monday, where he reportedly reaffirmed his position as the state’s Chief Security Officer, signalled the commencement of the alleged plan.
It further claimed that intelligence available to the party indicated that the matter had already been mentioned in court and was scheduled to come up again on Thursday, August 6, with what it described as a coordinated attempt to implicate the Nigeria Police Force, President Bola Tinubu and Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, in the unfolding political contest.
The APC also alleged that a meeting involving certain Accord Party chieftains and a High Court judge was held in Osogbo on Tuesday, where plans were allegedly perfected to secure the detention of the NURTW executives before the election.
Describing the alleged development as a dangerous abuse of judicial processes, the party urged the Osun State Judiciary to resist any attempt to allow the courts to be used as instruments for political persecution.
The opposition equally appealed to the Inspector-General of Police and other heads of security agencies to closely monitor developments in the state and take proactive measures to prevent a breakdown of law and order before, during and after the governorship election.
The APC further accused Governor Adeleke of making comments capable of inflaming political tensions, warning that every stakeholder must act responsibly to safeguard the credibility and peaceful conduct of the forthcoming poll.
As of the time of filing this report, the Osun State Government had not issued an official response to the allegations raised by the APC.