…Warns Governor Aregbesola, Police against setting Osun on Political Fire
A Civil Society Organization (CSO), the Civil Societies Coalition for the Emancipation of Osun State (CSCEOS) has strongly condemned the arrest of an Osogbo born politician and Chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Abdulfatai Diekola Oyedele and five others.
Oyedele, popularly called “Jagun of Osun Politics” by his admirers and five others were on Monday arrested over trump-up charge of alleged public disturbance by the men of the State Command of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF),just as it declared that the arrest had confirmed the earlier position of the group that Mr. Rauf Aregbesola had concluded arrangement to clampdown on political opponents over political reasons.
The other person arrested along with Alhaji Oyedele were; the sons of Osogbo Community leaders, Prince Dejo Babalola and Alhaji S.B. Daodu, Folusho Babalola and Adebayo Daodu respectively, one Lekan Onikola and two others.
It described the arrest as political, illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional, undemocratic and crime against humanity and God, maintaining that it was irresponsible on the part of the State government to orchestrate politically motivated arrest against the people with different political views at a time people of the State are clamouring for total change in the governance of the State as a result of maladministration of Aregbesola’s government.
The group also condemned the illegal and indefinite suspension of three (3) staffers of the State owned broadcasting Station, Osun State Broadcasting Corporation (OSBC) over frivolity on Monday without query as stipulated by the Civil service rules, saying that the State governor, Mr. Aregbesola was driving the State towards dictatorial tendency and anarchy.
Among those suspended were; Mrs. Folakemi Alonge of the Editorial department while Mr. Kunle Makanjuola and Mr. Gbadebo Adepoju were of the Marketing department and the State broadcasting station had earlier suspended its Director of News and Current Affairs of the Radio arm, Mr. Olushola Ajiboye over unsubstantiated allegation.
Reacting to the development through a signed statement by the CSCEOS’ Chairman, Comrade Adeniyi, Alimi Sulaiman and the copies were made available to newsmen on Tuesday, alleged that the illegal arrest and suspension were on the order of the Governor Aregbesola as a way to silent any perceived enemy of his maladministration as Aregbesola did to Justice Olamide Folahanmi Oloyede which cumulated in the last Saturday Bye-election defeat of Aregbesola’s anointed candidate of ruling APC in the State by the main opposition party (PDP) candidate, Dr. Ademola Nurudeen Adeleke.
The statement however, called on the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Ibrahim Idris and State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Olafimihan Adeoye, not to allow the Police to turn to the witch-hunt machinery to be used to silent political opponents which was against the ingredient of democratic norms and values, urging Aregbesola not to set the State on fire because of political selfish aggrandizements and detesting of constructive criticism of the opposition in the State.
It stated that Aregbesola should to see the outcome of Saturday Bye-election as wish of the people which was beauty of democracy that gave great opportunity to the citizenry to change their leaders periodically through electoral process, adding that the State governor should retrace his step in governance of the state and stop playing God in all its action and inaction by dropping the idea of winner takes it all syndrome.
According to the statement, it was very clear that Alhaji Oyedele has retraced his steps of the past by joining the revolutionary struggle of liberating the State from the hands of present Lagos invaders, usurpers and impostors, saluting the doggedness and uncommon courage displayed recently by Oyedele in the vanguard of struggle in the liberation of the State from present occupiers.
It therefore called for immediate and unconditional release of the APC chieftains and five others.
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