Aregbesola Arrest Update 7: House Of Assembly Caucus Speak Aregbesola’s Detention Is Unjust The arrest and detention of our leader and the Governorship Candidate of our great party, the Action Congress (AC) in Osun State, Engineer Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola has become another chapter in the struggle for a truly democratic Nigeria. He is a man of peace who has committed his life to the service of humanity. He is a genuine democrat who has high regard for law and order and will never violate same. We condemn, in strong terms, the unwarranted arrest of Engineer Aregbesola by the police over a spurious allegation of forgery of the Police Report. We are all witnesses to the heinous crimes committed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State on April 14, 2007. We are surprised that rather than bring the murderers who killed, maimed and raped our supporters before, during and after the last general elections to book, the criminals have been rewarded with juicy appointments at both state and federal levels. Our party complained to the Inspector-General of Police and asked for justice over these bestial crimes committed by members and leaders of PDP. The IGP promised to address it but till date, none of the known perpetrators and their sponsors have been brought to book. All these atrocities were contained in the secret Police Report signed by one CSP Ahmed Mohammed. Eng. Rauf AregbesolaWe recall that our party agents were gunned down like guinea pigs on elections day across the length and breath of Osun State . They were killed as if the membership card of the PDP is a licence for lawlessness. With deep sorrow, we recall the unfortunate killing of people like Mr. Ayobami “Kemba” Oni in Igbajo, Samson Olanrewaju killed by known PDP leaders in Ojoyin area of Ile-Ife and Saheed Adebiyi who was gunned down in the presence of his hapless mother at Oke-Iroko Area of Ikirun in Osun State on April 14, 2007 . Since the last general elections which we believe were won convincingly by the Action Congress in Osun State, leaders and members of our party have suffered humiliation, intimidation, harassment, deprivation, unwarranted arrest and detention under spurious charges. Several members of our caucus in the House of Assembly suffered similar fate as if once we are not elected members on the platform of PDP, we are not Nigerians. Our major crime has been that we carry the banner of an opposition party credible enough to earn the sacred votes of the electorate of Osun State . Our resolve to remain committed to the quest by our party to reclaim the governorship mandate which the people of Osun State gave to the Action Congress (AC) and Engineer Rauf Aregbesola on April 14, 2007 has largely been viewed as crime against the state by the ruling party that we are currently challenging before the court of law. For instance, witnesses who have been giving evidence before the Tribunal particularly Jonathan Adewumi Oke have been hounded, harassed and arrested by the Police for their courage to openly testify against the PDP. The account of all these atrocities are contained in the Police Report that some characters are desperately trying to rubbish as forged and for which our leader is being punished. In a nation that is thirsting for development and progress, Aregbesola and the Action Congress (AC) should get justice and not persecution. The PDP in Osun State has never denied complicity in these crimes contained in the Secret Police Report. Until the Court of Appeal delivered its verdict and the Police Report gained prominence, nobody contested its veracity and authenticity in spite of the wide publicity that it attracted across the world. We implore the IGP to ensure that the Nigeria Police is not used as a willing tool to eliminate our leader, Engineer Rauf Aregbesola. In addition to this, we recall that the police that have refused to act over the condemnable attack on Aregbesola during and after the August 5, 2006 Osogbo Oroki Day celebration went ahead to arrest the victim and clamp him into detention for days. The IGP must remember that a court of law held that the Police were wrong and imposed a N5 million fine on the force. This case is not different from the former one and Aregbesola will again be vindicated. While we shall continue to abide by the rule of law, we call the attention of the entire democratic world to these developments in Osun State where zero tolerance for the opposition is now the order of the day and the federal authorities are being contracted to violate constitutionality. We call for his immediate and unconditional release from this unmerited incarceration while urging the Police to respect the law and the rights of citizens at all times. We also use this opportunity to appeal to all members of the Action Congress and the entire public to remain calm and peaceful as we resolve this latest development in the politics of Osun State . We also call on all security agencies of the government to prevail on the Osun State Broadcasting Corporation (OSBC) to halt its infuriating broadcast capable of causing public disorder. Hon. Timothy Owoeye Minority Leader
Posted on: Wed, 31 Jul 2013 09:10:25 +0000
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