Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The national leadership of the Accord Party has formally demanded the immediate redeployment of Osun State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, accusing him of failing to curb persistent political violence and attacks targeting its members and supporters ahead of the August 15 governorship election. In a statement issued on Tuesday by the party's National Publicity Secretary, Joseph Omorogbe, Accord declared that it had lost all confidence in the police commissioner's ability to safeguard lives and property and called on President Bola Tinubu, Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu, the Director-General of the Department of State Services, and National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu to intervene urgently.
The party alleged that thugs linked to the All Progressives Congress had been carrying out coordinated attacks in Osogbo and Ede, with armed groups operating with impunity and shooting sporadically across the state capital. Accord claimed it had consistently reported these incidents to both the Police and the Department of State Services, but no arrests or prosecutions had been made, emboldening the perpetrators to continue their campaign of violence. “Accord has lost confidence in the ability and capacity of the Osun State Commissioner of Police to curb violence and politically motivated killings,” the statement read, alleging that the party had lost a number of its leaders, members and supporters, with several others wounded in the violence.
The party specifically cited the killing of a 14-year-old boy, Ezekiel Olapade, who was shot dead on Sunday, June 21, 2026, at Ilobu Community in Irepodun Local Government Area. According to Accord, the incident occurred when political thugs associated with the APC opened fire after spotting an Accord member wearing a party cap, and the teenager was killed while attempting to rescue his mother who had fallen into a ditch as they tried to escape the bullets. “Our hearts still bleed over the gruesome killing of a 14-year-old boy,” Omorogbe said, describing the incident as part of a worsening security situation in the state. The party also alleged that its state secretariat, Imole Campaign Council offices, and campaign billboards had been vandalised in what it described as a pattern of political intimidation.
The demand for Gotan's removal is not new. Earlier this month, federal and state lawmakers elected on the Accord Party platform—comprising seven members of the National Assembly and 25 members of the Osun State House of Assembly—had called for the police commissioner's redeployment, accusing him of bias, partisanship, and failure to maintain law and order. Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, flanked by Senator Lere Oyewumi and Representative Bamidele Salam, alleged that Gotan had attended State Security Council meetings only twice since assuming office on May 11, 2025, often sending representatives instead. Egbedun urged the Inspector-General of Police to redeploy Gotan, describing him as “partisan, compromised and incapable of ensuring effective security in the state”.
The Osun APC has dismissed the allegations as fabricated and politically motivated. Party spokesperson Kola Olabisi accused Accord lawmakers of spreading falsehoods to discredit APC leaders, including the governorship candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, and Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola. “It is either the Accord Party rumour merchants cooked stories about the imaginary attacks of their members or the discovery of a phoney spot where the APC was branding some vehicles in Accord Party logo in order to foment crises across the state,” Olabisi said, urging the public to disregard the allegations.
Commissioner Gotan himself has previously dismissed calls for his removal, describing allegations of bias as untrue. During a news conference in Osogbo on June 15, he stated that his conscience was clear and that he had made significant strides in crime-fighting within his one year in office. “Let me make it clear that during my one year in office, the command under my watch has stemmed cases of serious crimes such as banditry, terrorism, cultism, and other social vices,” Gotan said, adding that suspected kidnappers, armed robbery suspects, cultists, and vehicle-snatching syndicates had been arrested and prosecuted. He acknowledged that crime had not been completely eradicated but insisted that his command had reduced the frequency and severity of criminal activities through intelligence-led operations and community cooperation.
The standoff has deepened concerns about the security environment ahead of the August 15 governorship election. Accord has warned that continued violence could undermine public confidence in the electoral process and threaten democratic participation. The party has also rejected an invitation to a meeting convened by Commissioner Gotan, stating that it would not engage with a police leadership it no longer trusts. “Politics is not a do-or-die affair. The political ambition of any electoral contestant does not worth the blood of fellow compatriots,” Omorogbe said, urging politicians to embrace issue-based campaigns and allow the people to choose their governor peacefully. “At the end, the ballot is stronger than the bullet,” he declared.
As the election draws nearer, the competing narratives from Accord and the APC underscore the deep political mistrust that has come to define the race for the Osun governorship. For now, the fate of Commissioner Gotan rests with the Inspector-General of Police, who must weigh the competing demands of political neutrality and effective security management in a state where the stakes could hardly be higher.
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