By Ayodele Oni
Ahead of the August governorship election in Osun state, federal and state legislators who are members of Accord Party in the state have demanded the immediate redeployment of the Commissioner of Police in the state, Ibrahim Gotan.
He was accused of allegedly aiding the surge in politically motivated violent attacks against members of the ruling party in the state.
The Accord National and State Assembly Caucus, made up of seven members of the National Assembly and 25 members of the State Assembly, while addressing a press conference on Friday, accused Gotan of being a willing accomplice in the recent attacks on Accord members ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
Consequently, the legislators called on the Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to immediately remove the CP from Osun and ensure that sponsors and perpetrators of politically motivated attacks in the state are apprehended and prosecuted.
Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, read the text of the media briefing held in Osogbo, capital of the state, which was signed by Lere Oyewumi, Senator representing Osun West Senatorial District, Bamidele Salam,
Leader of the Osun Caucus in the House of Representatives and Egbedun.
They said there is “a dangerous and alarming plot that threatens the peace, stability, and democratic future of Osun State.
“The Accord caucus received credible intelligence indicating that the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) in the forthcoming governorship election in Osun State, Bola Oyebamiji and leaders of the opposition party in Osun have concluded plans to orchestrate large scale violence across the state as citizens move closer to the state governorship election.
“The plan of the APC in Osun is to increase the current tempo of violent attacks on innocent members of the public and in particular members and supporters of Accord across the state in the next few weeks.
“The candidate and leaders of the party, having realised their electoral hopelessness and imminent woeful loss have hatched plots to unleash violence and mayhem in a scale that is unprecedented in Osun state.
“This includes plans to disrupt rallies, peaceful procession and campaign programmes of our Party.
“Very credible intelligence available to us suggests that this sinister plot includes targeted attacks at persons identified with the Accord, further destruction of billboards, vehicles and other property of prominent Accord leaders and political office holders in Osun State.
“The sinister plan which includes possible high-profile assassination will in their estimation prepare the ground for a declaration of state of emergency ahead of the conduct of the State Governorship election, already scheduled for the 15th of August.
“The objective, according to the information at our disposal, is to create a state of chaos and insecurity that could be used as a pretext to pressure the Federal Government into declaring a state of emergency in Osun State and subsequently appointment of their stooge as Administrator ahead of the governorship election.
“Ladies and gentlemen, this is not political speculation, or hearsay. We consider the information before us serious enough to warrant immediate public attention and preventive action by relevant security agencies.
“In a recent meeting with some traditional rulers, a chieftain of the APC from the East Senatorial District likened the governorship aspiration of Mr Bola Oyebamiji to the story of some persons in the bible who forced their way through a roof to get what they wanted when all avenues are blocked.
” He boasted that the APC was determined to forcefully seize power by all means possible in Osun State.
“From all available indicators, it is evident that the APC candidate and his handlers have become increasingly apprehensive about his electoral prospects in Osun State.
“Rather than submitting himself to the democratic verdict of the people, information available to us points to a panicky resort to violence as a means of achieving political objectives no matter the number of lives that have to go for it.
“Regrettably, such actions do not represent what politics should be, but rather a direct assault on democracy and an act of terror against innocent citizens whose only desire is to participate peacefully in the electoral process.
“These posture and acts of desperation are unfortunate, disgraceful and outrightly condemnable by all persons of good conscience.
“Only a few weeks ago, Mr Kolade Eluyera, an Accord member in Irewole Local Government Area, was brutally murdered. Similarly, on June 3, 2026, the Chairman of Accord in Osogbo Local Government, Hon Asimiyu Ajibola, was shot multiple times by armed assailants and remains hospitalized while battling for his life.
“The only crime of those who were most recently shot by the APC thugs in Ile-Ife, Owode-Ede and Osogbo was that they wore branded caps of the Accord.
“Unfortunately, these incidents form part of a growing pattern of violence that has generated fear and anxiety among citizens across the state.
“Regrettably, the Police in Osun state appears a willing accomplice in the execution of the unlawful plans which have begun to unfold.
“We find it difficult to understand how crimes committed in broad daylight, in branded vehicles, caught on tapes would not be tracked and perpetrators arrested 72 hours after those shootings.
“The apparent inability to identify, apprehend, and prosecute perpetrators has emboldened criminal elements and increased public concerns regarding the safety of lives and property in Osun State.
“We wish to put it on record that since his assumption of office on the 11th of May, 2025, the state Commissioner of Police has not deemed it fit to attend the state Security Council meeting more than twice!
“On all other occasions, he either sent some retired personnel or persons junior to other service commanders to represent him.
“The orchestrated attempt of the CP to incapacitate the Amotekun Corps is another clear danger to the security of our people in Osun State, especially now that cases of kidnapping and banditry are on the rise in different parts of the country.
“While hundreds of Accord party campaign billboards were vandalised by known miscreants without a single arrest, the Commissioner of Police was busy trying to stop the holding of campaign by our party men in parts of the state.
“The Police Commissioner, from all indications, has become an accomplice to the plans to turn our state upside down and hand our democratic institutions to hijackers and state captors. This is clearly unexpected, unacceptable, and very unfortunate.
“On the account of the foregoing, we hereby call on the Inspector General of Police, Mr Olatunji Disu to immediately redeploy the Osun State Commissioner of Police, Mr Ibrahim Gothan who has shown himself partisan, highly compromised and incapable of providing effective security support for the people of Osun State.
“We call for the immediate arrest and prosecution of persons linked with the various crimes perpetrated against members and supporters of the Accord in various parts of Osun state especially in the last 3 months.
“We call on Mr. President, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu to issue a clear directive to security agencies in Osun state to maintain neutrality, professionalism and zero tolerance for all forms of violence before, during and after the August 15th Governorship Election.
“We urge the Civil Society, the Media, the National Peace Committee and the International Community to pay closer attention to events in Osun State as we move closer to the off-cycle Governorship election holding on the 15th day of August.”
Reacting to the initial allegations of sponsoring thugs to attack Accord members, Wole Oke, the Director General of APC Campaign Council, had during a press conference held in Osogbo, denied attacking Accord members, accusing the ruling party of attacking APC members and hoarding thugs at the State Government House.
Lere Oyewumi, also denied this claim during the Friday press conference.
Discover more from The Source
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
