The People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in Ekiti State has accused Governor Biodun Oyebanji of intimidating opposition members in the state with security agencies and state machinery ahead of the June 20 governorship election.
The Ekiti State Commissioner for Information, Taiwo Olatunbosun, dismissed the PDP’s allegations as “untrue and laughable,” even as the party’s Deputy Governorship Candidate, Ayodeji Ogunsakin, claimed several members had been arrested, detained, and harassed over their opposition affiliations.
Ogunsakin at a press conference in Ado Ekiti on Sunday, called on President Bola Tinubu and security authorities “to investigate the allegations and ensure that democratic rights are protected ahead of the governorship election.”
“We call on all relevant authorities to guarantee a level playing field for all political parties and ensure that security agencies remain professional and non-partisan in the discharge of their duties as we approach the election,” he added.
According to Ogunsakin, purported police operatives have turned supporters of opposition parties, particularly in Ikere Ekiti and other parts of the state, into targets of arrest on questionable grounds.
He said: “The atmosphere being created is one of fear and intimidation. Democracy cannot thrive where citizens are afraid to identify with a political party or express their political opinions.”
The PDP deputy governorship candidate alleged overnight raids on the residences of opposition members, while some members had been detained for political activities, including displaying campaign materials and openly supporting PDP candidates.
Ogunsakin, who accused the state government of focusing attention on opposition figures instead of addressing pressing security challenges confronting residents, warned that continued harassment of opposition members could heighten political tension in the state as preparations for the election gathered momentum.
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He said: “Political competition should be based on performance and public support rather than intimidation or the suppression of dissenting voices”.
But Ekiti State Commissioner for Information, Taiwo Olatunbosun, in a telephone conversation with our correspondent on Sunday, dismissed the allegations by the PDP as “untrue, laughable and an attempt to gain undue attention.”
Olatunbosun said: “Governor Oyebanji is not involved in the arrest of people; the PDP should channel their allegations to the security agencies.
“When people violate the law, the security agencies are there to do their job. The PDP members 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”, the commissioner said.
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