The African Democratic Congress has raised the alarm over an alleged plan by security agencies to arrest its National Secretary, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, ahead of Saturday’s governorship election in Osun State.
The opposition party said it received what it described as credible information about plans to arrest the former Osun State governor in the days leading to the election, warning that any such action could heighten political tension in the state.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the party was concerned about what it described as a pattern of intimidation, harassment and alleged misuse of state institutions against opposition figures.
“The African Democratic Congress has received credible reports of plans to arrest our National Secretary, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, in the days leading to Saturday’s Osun State election,” the statement read.
It urged the Federal Government and security agencies to exercise restraint and avoid any action that could disrupt the electoral process or undermine public confidence in the election.
Aregbesola, a former governor of Osun State and former Minister of the Interior, is expected to play a role in coordinating the party’s activities during the election.
The ADC argued that if any security agency had legitimate grounds to question the former governor, it should follow established legal procedures rather than resort to an arrest that could be perceived as politically motivated.
“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 party said.
It warned that arresting Aregbesola shortly before the election could create the impression that the action was intended to prevent him from performing his responsibilities as a senior official of the opposition party.
“An arrest on the eve of an election in which his party is participating would invite only one reasonable conclusion: that the purpose is to prevent him from leading and coordinating the party’s election activities,” the ADC said.
The allegation comes amid heightened political tension in Osun ahead of Saturday’s governorship poll, with political parties and civil society organisations expressing concerns over alleged intimidation, inflammatory rhetoric, electoral violence and the conduct of security agencies.
The election has attracted particular attention because of the political importance of Osun and its implications for the broader realignment of opposition forces ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The party said the alleged plan to arrest Aregbesola should therefore not be viewed in isolation from the wider political environment surrounding the Osun election.
“We therefore put the Federal Government and the security agencies on notice. The eyes of Nigerians are on Osun,” Abdullahi said.
He added that the conduct of the authorities before, during and after the election would be judged by their actions rather than explanations offered after the poll.
“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 ADC warned.
The party specifically cautioned the Federal Government against taking any step capable of worsening tensions in Osun.
“The APC Federal Government must be wary of doing anything that could plunge Osun State into needless crisis,” it said.
It further stressed that the country remained a democracy and urged the government to respect democratic institutions, political competition and the rights of opposition parties to participate fully in the election.
“Nigeria is still a democracy, and the government would do well to remember that before Saturday,” the party said.
The ADC said it would continue to monitor developments and urged Nigerians to pay close attention to events surrounding the election.
