The African Democratic Congress has raised the alarm over an alleged plot by security agencies to arrest its National Secretary, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, just days before Saturday’s governorship election in Osun State.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the party warned that any such action could heighten political tension in the state and undermine public confidence in the electoral process.
The ADC’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, said the party received what it described as credible intelligence about plans to detain the former Osun State governor in the lead-up to the poll.
“The African Democratic Congress has received credible reports of plans to arrest our National Secretary, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, in the days leading to Saturday’s Osun State election,” the statement read.
Aregbesola, a former Governor of Osun State and former Minister of the Interior, is expected to play a key role in coordinating the party’s activities during the election. The ADC argued that if any security agency had legitimate grounds to question the former governor, it should follow established legal procedures rather than resort to an arrest that could be perceived as politically motivated.
“Ogbeni Aregbesola is a former governor of Osun State, a former minister of the Federal Republic and the National Secretary of the opposition political party. If any security agency has a lawful reason to invite him, there are established procedures for doing so,” the party said.
The ADC warned that arresting Aregbesola on the eve of the election would create the impression that the action was intended to prevent him from performing his responsibilities as a senior official of the opposition party.
“An arrest on the eve of an election in which his party is participating would invite only one reasonable conclusion: that the purpose is to prevent him from leading and coordinating the party’s election activities,” the ADC said.
The allegation comes amid heightened political tension in Osun, with political parties and civil society organisations expressing concerns over alleged intimidation, inflammatory rhetoric, electoral violence, and the conduct of security agencies. The election has drawn particular attention due to Osun’s political importance and its implications for the broader realignment of opposition forces ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The party said the alleged plan to arrest Aregbesola should not be viewed in isolation from the wider political environment surrounding the Osun election.
“We therefore put the Federal Government and the security agencies on notice. The eyes of Nigerians are on Osun,” Abdullahi said.
He added that the conduct of the authorities before, during, and after the election would be judged by their actions rather than explanations offered afterwards.
“Whatever happens before, during and after Saturday’s election will be judged not by the explanations offered afterwards, but by the actions taken now,” the ADC warned.
The party specifically cautioned the Federal Government against taking any step capable of worsening tensions in Osun.
“The APC Federal Government must be wary of doing anything that could plunge Osun State into needless crisis,” it said.
The ADC further stressed that Nigeria remained a democracy and urged the government to respect democratic institutions, political competition, and the rights of opposition parties to participate fully in the election.
“Nigeria is still a democracy, and the government would do well to remember that before Saturday,” the party said.
The ADC said it would continue to monitor developments and urged Nigerians to pay close attention to events surrounding the election.
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