The Governor Adeleke Campaign Council has accused the Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, of enabling APC thugs to attack and intimidate leaders and members of Accord Party across Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship election.

The council, in a statement issued by the chairman, media and publicity committee, Bamidele Sallam, on Saturday, alleged that Mr Gotan was holding secret night meetings to attack Accord leaders.

“The council specifically accused Mr Gotan of holding a clandestine meeting in the dead of the night on Thursday to plot further attacks and killings of Accord leaders,” the statement said.

The council, which listed the APC leaders met by Mr Gotan to include Senator Francis Fadahunsi, Wole Oke, Remi Omowaiye and two other leaders, accused him of openly defying the directive of the IGP that all police officers should be non-partisan.

It added, “Since the arrival of the police commissioner in charge of election, Mr Gotan has been running a parallel police structure which he is deploying alongside APC thugs to molest Accord leaders.

“We discovered that while the election commissioner is focusing on building architecture for stabilising the state for election, Mr Gotan is deploying special squad to arrest Accord leaders and another police team to accompany APC thugs as they raid Accord offices and houses of Accord leaders in Ijeshaland including the arrest of Commissioner for Environment, Hon. Mayowa Anjoorin this morning.”

According to the council, Mr Gotan’s squad, alongside APC thugs led by Mr Omowaiye, attacked the Accord assembly candidate in Ilesa as they paraded Ilesa, armed with dangerous weapons in the presence of the police.

“The videos are all over the Internet which showed APC thugs and police destroying Accord billboards as at this morning across Osun East. It is shocking that the police is accompanying thugs who are launching attacks on Accord members,” the council noted.

The council called on IGP We to immediately transfer Mr Gotan out of Osun to allow the presidential directive for a free and fair election to materialise.

It also demanded the immediate release of over 60 Accord leaders and members allegedly under illegal detention and the disbandment of secret police squads allegedly being used by Mr Gotan to support APC thugs in their daily attacks on Osun Accord members.

“In the best interest of democracy, in pursuance of IGP direct order to police officers and in compliance with presidential directive for free and fair elecrion in Osun state, we demand immediate urgent action of the Inspector General of Police,” the council added.

Meanwhile, police spokesperson Abiodun Ojelabi stated that the command had commenced investigation into the shooting incident during Accord Party’s rally in Ilesa in the state.

“The Command is also aware of allegations and claims linking certain individuals, including Hon. Wale Akerele, to the incident. However, the Police wish to emphasise that these are presently allegations under investigation, and no individual should be presumed guilty until the investigation establishes otherwise.

“Items recovered at the scene include four expanded cartridges; and one Amotekun cap. The Police have commenced a comprehensive investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident, identify all persons involved, determine the source and ownership of the firearms allegedly used, and ascertain the respective levels of involvement of all persons connected to the incident,” Mr Ojelabi noted.

The development came days after the council faulted the redeployment of Mr Gotan to the state amid widespread violence ahead of the poll.