Osun lawmakers seek redeployment of CP over election tensions

Lawmakers from Osun State have called for the immediate redeployment of the state Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Gotan, over alleged partisanship and failure to provide adequate security ahead of the August 15, 2026 governorship election.

Speaking at a press conference in Osogbo, Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, said the legislators had lost confidence in the police commissioner and urged the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, to replace him without delay.

The lawmakers, comprising seven members of the National Assembly and 25 members of the State House of Assembly, also called for the arrest and prosecution of individuals allegedly linked to attacks on members and supporters of the Accord across the state within the last three months.

According to the caucus, it had received intelligence suggesting that leaders of the All Progressives Congress, APC were allegedly planning to instigate violence in the period leading up to the election.

The lawmakers alleged that the police in the state had failed to respond adequately to reported incidents of violence and vandalism, including attacks carried out in public and allegedly captured on video recordings.

“We find it difficult to understand how crimes committed in broad daylight, in branded vehicles, caught on tapes would not be tracked and perpetrators arrested 72 hours after those shootings,” Egbedun said.

He also alleged that the Police Commissioner had rarely attended meetings of the State Security Council since assuming office in May 2025, claiming that junior officers were frequently delegated to represent him.

The caucus accused the police leadership in the state of attempting to weaken the operations of the Osun Amotekun Corps at a time when concerns over kidnapping and other security threats were increasing across parts of the country.

The lawmakers also alleged that hundreds of campaign billboards belonging to the Accord had been vandalised without any arrests being made, while campaign activities of the party had allegedly faced restrictions in some areas of the state.

They also claimed to possess intelligence indicating plans for targeted attacks on Accord members, destruction of property and other acts capable of creating instability before the governorship poll.

According to the lawmakers, “such actions could be aimed at creating conditions that might lead to the declaration of a state of emergency in Osun State ahead of the election.

“This is not political speculation, or hearsay. We consider the information before us serious enough to warrant immediate public attention and preventive action by relevant security agencies.”

The caucus appealed to President Bola Tinubu to direct security agencies in the state to remain neutral and professional, while urging civil society groups, the media, election observers and the international community to closely monitor developments in Osun as preparations continue for the August 15 governorship election.

Osun lawmakers seek redeployment of CP over election tensions