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From Priscilla Ediare, Ado-Ekiti
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State has accused the administration of Governor Biodun Oyebanji of orchestrating the unlawful arrest, detention, and intimidation of PDP members ahead of the June 20 governorship election in the state.
Speaking at a press conference in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, at the weekend, the PDP’s deputy governorship candidate, Hon. Deji Ogunsakin, alleged that the state governor was using security operatives and political figures in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to arrest members of the PDP and whisk them away to unknown destinations.
While raising concerns that several PDP supporters had been arrested and detained, Ogunsakin called on President Bola Tinubu and relevant security agencies to urgently intervene in what he described as increasing political arrests and intimidation of opposition members in the state.
The deputy governorship candidate alleged that armed men suspected to be operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) stormed the residential homes of victims in Ikere-Ekiti in the wee hours, forced their doors open, and took away the PDP members.
“We received distress calls at about 2 a.m. that armed men invaded homes in Ikere-Ekiti. Doors were broken, families were terrorised, and some of our members were taken away. As we speak, their whereabouts remain unknown,” he said.
He called on the President to call the state governor and the ruling APC in the state to order, and to ensure the protection of lives, property, and the democratic rights of the people.
“It cannot be in the interest of Mr. President to see citizens allegedly harassed because of political differences. The essence of democracy is freedom of choice, freedom of expression, and freedom of association,” he said.
According to Ogunsakin, immediate efforts to locate the whereabouts of the victims had proved abortive, despite contacting senior security officials.
“We alerted the state’s Commissioner of Police, and he said he was not aware of any such operation. We also contacted the RRS command, and they denied knowledge of it. So the question remains: who carried out this operation and on whose authority?” he queried.
He expressed fears that the situation could destabilise the political and democratic atmosphere in the state.
“Democracy is being stretched dangerously in Ekiti. When citizens are picked up in the middle of the night without explanation, it sends a very dangerous signal to the political environment.”
Ogunsakin further alleged that the family residence of the PDP governorship candidate, Dr Wole Oluyede, in Ikere-Ekiti was recently invaded by suspected political thugs, adding that the situation had heightened tension within opposition ranks.
He also claimed that some individuals arrested in connection with the incident were later released, while a complainant from the affected family was allegedly detained.
“We are witnessing a situation where victims become suspects and complainants become the ones arrested. That is not how democracy should work,” he said.
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Ogunsakin alleged that several party members had been arrested in recent months over what he described as routine political activities, including the display of campaign materials and participation in mobilisation efforts.
“Some of our members are in detention for doing nothing more than expressing political support. Others have been remanded on what we believe are politically motivated charges. This is unacceptable in a democratic society,” he said.
Ogunsakin accused the state government of weaponising state institutions against opposition voices, warning that such actions could heighten political tension ahead of the polls.
“The governor is presiding over a system where opposition voices are increasingly being silenced. This is not the Ekiti we know. This is not democracy,” he stated.
Ogunsakin further criticised the performance of the Oyebanji-led administration, arguing that despite increased federal allocations, there was little to show in terms of visible development projects across the state.
He also dismissed news trending on social media that the Court of Appeal had removed Dr Wole Oluyede as the candidate of the PDP for the June election in Ekiti State.
“The news that trended on social media on Saturday is fake news. It was fabricated by some unscrupulous elements.
“The Appeal Court has affirmed Dr Wole Oluyede as the PDP candidate for the June 20 governorship election in Ekiti. The Ekiti PDP does not have any pending cases in court. The public should, please, disregard it.”
He insisted that the PDP’s governorship candidate, Oluyede, remained the party’s legitimate flag bearer and expressed confidence that the party would achieve victory in the coming election.
Ogunsakin hinted that the party was still compiling names and figures of those allegedly affected, as families continued to report missing relatives.
“We are still gathering information. Parents, wives and relatives are in distress. One of those affected is a ward chairman in our structure in Ikere-Ekiti. The full picture is still emerging,” he said.
Reacting to the development, the Commissioner for Information in the state, Hon. Taiwo Olatunbosun, described the allegations as untrue, saying Governor Biodun Oyebanji was not involved in the arrest of the PDP members and that the opposition party should channel its allegations to the security agencies.
Olatunbosun described the allegations as laughable, urging the PDP to stop trying to gain undue recognition.
“People who violate the law, the security agencies are there to do their job. They should adhere strictly to the rule of law and stop trying to gain attention. They should stop parading thugs as their members
“The governor is a peace-loving person, with character in leadership and intelligence in the governance of the state.”
