Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has demanded the immediate release of the state Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sunday Bisi, following his reported arrest by security operatives shortly after casting his vote in Saturday’s governorship election.
Bisi was reportedly arrested at his residence in Ilesa after returning from his polling unit, according to a statement issued by the governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed.
Adeleke condemned the arrest, describing it as an attempt to intimidate members of the PDP and interfere with the collation and monitoring of election results across the state.
The governor alleged that the arrest was part of a wider plot involving the All Progressives Congress (APC) and unnamed security personnel to restrict access to collation centres and manipulate the outcome of the election.
“Information reaching me indicates that Hon. Bisi was accosted in his home in Ilesa shortly after he returned after voting, and whisked him away to a yet-to-be-known location,” Adeleke said.
He questioned the circumstances surrounding the arrest, noting that no reason had been given for Bisi’s detention.
According to the governor, the incident was connected to what he described as a broader “sweep” targeting his supporters, allegedly aimed at preventing them from monitoring the collation of results.
“This is the biggest assault on democracy, and I urge everyone involved in this desperate attempt to upturn the will of our people through the use of state institutions,” he said.
Adeleke called for Bisi’s immediate release, insisting that elections should allow voters to freely determine who governs them without intimidation or coercion.
The governor also alleged that other political actors in the state had been detained, describing such arrests as politically motivated.
The development came amid heightened tension surrounding the Osun governorship election, with rival political camps trading allegations of vote-buying, intimidation and interference by security agencies.
The circumstances surrounding Bisi’s arrest, including the identity of the agency responsible and the reason for his detention, were not immediately clear from the statement.