- Atiku; The Best Of Nigerians Are In ADC Today, We Are Different From APC, Accord
- First Lady Leads Protest Over Alleged Political Intimidation
Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has thrown his weight behind the African Democratic Congress (ADC) governorship candidate, Najeem Salaam, urging Osun voters to elect the party in Saturday’s governorship election, as concerns over alleged political intimidation and security tensions mount ahead of the poll.
Atiku, the ADC presidential candidate, made the call on Monday at the grand finale of the party’s governorship campaign rally in Osogbo, where he declared that “the best of Nigerians” were now in the ADC.
The former vice-president urged voters to trust the party with their mandate, insisting that the ADC was different from the All Progressives Congress (APC), Accord and other political parties.
“This is the fourth time I am standing on this podium, and each time I stood here, you gave me your vote. I cannot forget that,” Atiku said.
He recalled his previous campaigns in the state, including his support for incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke, saying Osun residents had consistently backed him.
“I have come today to appeal to you to vote for the ADC. This is because the ADC, I can assure you, is different from APC, Accord, and all other parties. The best of Nigerians are in the ADC today,” he said.
Atiku also thanked party supporters for their massive turnout, saying their presence demonstrated the growing strength and confidence of the ADC ahead of the election.
The rally was attended by ADC national chairman, David Mark; national secretary and former Osun governor, Rauf Aregbesola; and other senior party leaders, who joined the campaign for Salaam.
First Lady Leads Protest Over Alleged Political Intimidation
While the ADC intensified its final campaign push, the First Lady of Osun State, Titilola Adeleke, led a group of women to the state police command in Osogbo to protest alleged intimidation and harassment of political actors ahead of Saturday’s election.
Adeleke, accompanied by the Commissioner for Women and Children Affairs, Ayobola Awolowo, and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Market Affairs, Eniola Omotoso, marched from Lameco through the West Bypass to the police headquarters, where they submitted a petition to the Commissioner of Police overseeing election duties, CP Samuel Etaifo.
The protesters demanded stronger measures to guarantee that voters and political actors could participate in the August 15 election without fear.
Adeleke alleged that some Accord Party leaders were being targeted for arrest by opposition elements and raised concerns over the reported arrest of the Commissioner for Environment the previous Friday.
“From what we heard, we learnt that they will start picking our leaders up this week. Last Friday, they picked up the Commissioner for Environment. He was brought here, stripped naked. This is not good enough. They should leave our people alone,” she alleged.
She called on the police to protect all political parties and their supporters and ensure that the election was conducted peacefully and credibly.
Police Warn Against Actions That Could Heighten Tension
Responding to the protesters, CP Etaifo assured them that the command was committed to maintaining peace and providing a safe environment for voters and political actors.
However, he cautioned that actions capable of inflaming tensions would not be tolerated, saying the protest itself could undermine the relative calm recorded in the state since his deployment.
“If you notice, since I came, we have relative peace in the state. But the problem we have is that we cannot continue to tolerate what you have done today because it will not contribute to peace; it will cause tension again,” Etaifo said.
The police commissioner said he was deployed to Osun on the directive of the Inspector-General of Police to stabilise the state ahead of the governorship election and create an environment where eligible voters could exercise their franchise freely.
“I have the mandate of the Inspector-General of Police to come to the state and stabilise things, give an enabling environment for every political actor to exercise their franchise, to create public confidence for everyone to come out to vote on election day,” he said.
Etaifo, however, promised to review the concerns contained in the petition and adjust the command’s strategy where necessary.
“We are going to go back and restrategise to attend to all your demands,” he added.
With campaigns reaching their climax and political camps trading allegations of intimidation just days before the August 15 election, security and the credibility of the ballot have emerged as major issues in the final stretch of the Osun governorship contest.
