A coalition of civil society organisations in Osun State on Monday staged a protest in Osogbo, calling for the immediate redeployment of the state Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, over allegations of political partisanship ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
Operating under the umbrella of the Network of Osun Civil Society Groups, the protesters marched through major streets of the state capital carrying placards and banners while urging the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to intervene.
The demonstration comes less than two months before Osun’s off-cycle governorship election, where incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke is seeking a second term.
The protesters accused the police commissioner of conduct they claimed could undermine public confidence in the neutrality of the police during the election period.
They also threatened to submit a formal petition to relevant authorities demanding his removal from the state.
According to the coalition, recent actions and decisions of the Osun State Police Command have raised concerns about the force’s impartiality in handling sensitive political and security matters.
Speaking during the protest, the coalition’s secretary, Success Oluomo, said the call for redeployment was aimed at preserving public trust in the electoral process.
“Our protest for his redeployment is because we have seen him as someone who is partisan, and we as civil society actors are not ready to support anybody who is partisan or who appears to be supporting one political party,” Oluomo said.
The protest also reflects ongoing tensions between the Osun State government and the police command over the handling of certain security-related incidents in the state.
Last week, the state government raised concerns over the police investigation of a suspected banditry case linked to the Lameco area in Ifon-Orolu.
In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, the government alleged that unnamed political actors were attempting to influence police actions concerning the case.
The government also questioned reports that the suspect involved was undergoing a psychiatric evaluation and requested further details from the police regarding the medical assessment and the broader investigation.
During Monday’s protest, some demonstrators further accused the police of failing to take adequate action over a recent incident of politically motivated violence that reportedly left three people injured.
The Executive Director of Socioeconomic and Civic Rights Advocacy, Oloyin Mohammed, argued that available video and photographic evidence had not resulted in sufficient action by law enforcement authorities.
“These are actions that could be interpreted as political influence. If these concerns are not addressed, there could be voter apathy on election day, which may ultimately disenfranchise many citizens. We call on the Inspector-General of Police to redeploy the state Commissioner of Police to another state,” Mohammed said.
As of the time of filing this report, the Osun State Police Command had not issued an official response to the allegations.
The August 15 governorship election is expected to be keenly contested, with Governor Adeleke facing 13 other candidates, including Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
