Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has condemned the reported arrest of the state chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sunday Bisi, and called for his immediate release.
Adeleke made the call in a statement posted on his official X account on Saturday, alleging that Bisi was arrested at his residence in Ilesa shortly after casting his vote in the ongoing Osun governorship election.
The statement, signed by the governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, said the PDP chairman was allegedly taken away by security operatives to an undisclosed location.
According to Adeleke, no reason had been provided for Bisi’s arrest at the time of the statement.
The governor described the reported arrest as an abuse of law enforcement and an attempt to undermine the democratic process.
He further alleged that the development was part of a wider plan to prevent his supporters from monitoring the collation of election results, while accusing the All Progressives Congress (APC) and unnamed security personnel of working together to interfere with the process.
Adeleke, however, did not provide evidence to substantiate the allegations.
“This latest sweep on my supporters, I have authoritatively learnt, is part of a broader plan to give the APC unhindered access to change results at collation centres and upturn our wins at the poll,” he alleged.
Describing the situation as what he called “the biggest assault on democracy”, Adeleke urged those involved to desist from using state institutions to undermine the will of voters.
The governor demanded Bisi’s immediate release, describing his reported arrest as political, while also calling for the release of other individuals he referred to as “political prisoners” across the state.
“In that regard, I am calling for the immediate release of Hon. Bisi because his arrest is nothing but political and other political prisoners across Osun State,” Adeleke said.
He added that elections should allow citizens to freely choose their preferred candidates without intimidation or coercion.
At the time of the statement, the governor said Bisi’s whereabouts remained unknown and that no official explanation had been given for his reported arrest.
