NOA alleges APC, Accord behind Osun pre-election violence

The National Orientation Agency (NOA) in Osun State has raised concerns over escalating political violence ahead of the August 15 governorship election, alleging that members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Accord Party are responsible for a series of attacks and killings recorded in parts of the state.

The State Director of the agency, Adebiyi Stephen, made the allegation on Monday during a stakeholders’ interface on credible elections organised by the International Press Centre (IPC) in partnership with the European Union in Osogbo. According to him, findings from the agency’s engagements with political actors pointed to the involvement of the two parties in acts of violence capable of undermining a peaceful electoral process.

Stephen disclosed that the agency had visited the offices of the affected political parties to confront them over the allegations, warning that continued violence could heighten fear among voters and worsen voter apathy during the election. He urged political leaders to rein in their supporters and embrace issue-based campaigns rather than intimidation and violence.

The NOA director also called on the Nigeria Police Force to intensify surveillance of the APC and Accord Party, alleging that some politicians within the two parties were sponsoring violence in a bid to gain political advantage ahead of the poll. He advised security agencies to act decisively in order to prevent further deterioration of the security situation and safeguard the credibility of the election.

Responding to the allegations, the Osun State Police Command cautioned against attributing every violent incident in the state to politics. The Police Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Ojelabi, said preliminary investigations had shown that many of the reported killings and crises were unrelated to the forthcoming governorship election.

Ojelabi also addressed questions over allegations that some wanted criminal suspects were hiding inside the Osun Government House. He said the command was handling the matter with caution, stressing that security agencies must comply with established legal procedures before carrying out any operation within the premises.

According to him, the Government House enjoys constitutional and legal protections that require law enforcement agencies to obtain the necessary authorisation before conducting searches or arrests. He explained that investigators were analysing available intelligence to ensure that any action taken would comply with the law and achieve its intended objective without violating the rights of the governor or other occupants of the facility.

The police spokesperson reaffirmed the command’s commitment to apprehending all wanted suspects regardless of their location, provided due process is followed. He added that intelligence-led operations would continue across Osun State to strengthen security ahead of the governorship election. His comments followed an earlier allegation by the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, that some wanted criminals were taking refuge inside the Government House, an allegation Governor Ademola Adeleke dismissed by insisting that anyone found to have committed a crime, including members of his family, should be arrested in accordance with the law.