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The African Democratic Congress has raised the alarm over what it described as a credible plan to arrest its National Secretary, Rauf Aregbesola, ahead of Saturday’s governorship election in Osun State. In a statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said it had received reports suggesting that security agencies were preparing to take Aregbesola into custody in the days leading up to the election. The party said the alleged development was particularly troubling given the heightened political tension surrounding the poll and urged security authorities to ensure that the electoral process remained free from intimidation.
Abdullahi said the ADC would not dismiss the reports because of what the party described as a broader pattern of intimidation, harassment and alleged misuse of state institutions against opposition figures. He warned that any attempt to arrest Aregbesola shortly before the election could be interpreted as political interference and could further heighten tensions across the state. The party called on the Federal Government, security agencies and other stakeholders to respect democratic principles and ensure that opposition parties and their leaders are allowed to participate freely in the election without fear of harassment or arbitrary detention.
The allegation comes just days before the August 15 Osun governorship election, in which the ADC candidate, Najeem Salaam, is challenging incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke and APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji. Aregbesola, a former Osun governor, has been actively involved in the ADC’s campaign and has emerged as one of the party’s prominent figures in the state. The ADC has therefore urged security agencies to publicly clarify whether there is any plan to arrest its national secretary, stressing that any action against him should be based strictly on established legal procedures rather than political considerations. So far, the party’s claim remains an allegation, and no independent confirmation of a planned arrest has been established.
