OSOGBO, Nigeria — The Osun State chapter of the Accord has raised alarm over what it described as a clandestine plot involving some officers of the Osun Police Command and political thugs linked to the All Progressives Congress, APC, to attack members of Governor Ademola Adeleke’s Media Unit and other social media promoters.
In a news release issued on July 31, 2026, and signed by the Accord Chairman in Osun State, Pastor Victor Akande, the party said credible intelligence within the Osun Police Command indicated that some officers have become uncomfortable with the daily exposure of alleged partisan and unprofessional conduct.
According to the statement, the officers recently debated ways of keeping media aides of the Governor away from the public space and resolved to use APC thugs to carry out attacks “to give them room for deniability in the event that the plot backfires.”
The party cited a recent attack on Adekunle Akinrinade, who serves as the Special Assistant on Youth Parliament to the Governor, as evidence of the plot.
“He was attacked in broad day light along the campaign office of APC at Ogooluwa area in Osogbo, without even putting on any paraphernalia of ACCORD, which shows he was been trailed by the APC thugs until he was attacked on that fateful day,” the statement said.
Accord condemned the alleged conduct of the Osun Police Command, describing it as a gross betrayal of responsibility.
“As much as we are well aware of the partisan posture of men of the Osun Police Command, we are however alarmed that it could contemplate harming citizens it is being paid to secure just to satisfy certain political interests. We strongly condemned this gross betrayal of responsibility and duty by those involved in this irresponsible act,” Akande said.
The party further accused the police command of acting as an arm of the APC.
“We find the conduct of the Osun Police Command, including this recent plot to be involved in the physical attack of people for doing their lawful duties, as an unprecedented failure of policing in the history of Nigeria. Police exists to fight crime and keep people safe, but unfortunately, the Osun Police Command continues to portray itself as an arm of the APC, viciously serving as its tool of oppression and intimidation ahead of the election,” the release stated.
Accord said it was holding the Osun Police Command responsible for the safety of government officials.
“It is therefore imperative to alert the whole world to hold the Osun Police Command, starting from its embattled Commissioner, Mr. Ibrahim Gotan and Mr. Lukman Afolabi (Eluku), responsible for any harm that befall any of the members of Governor Adeleke’s media team, and even more, every other persons associated with the Adeleke administration,” it said.
The party maintained that working for the Osun State Government under Governor Adeleke is not a crime.
“We maintain that working for the Osun State Government under Governor Adeleke is never a crime under any law and reject the dangerous attempt by the compromised Police to criminalise working in the Adeleke administration,” the statement noted.
Given what it called the “prevailing reality of the compromise of the Osun Police Command,” Accord appealed to democratic stakeholders for support.
“We are left with no option but to call on every lovers of democracy to come to our aid in the state and defend our rights to make democratic choice without hindrances,” Akande said.
