The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the ruling government of the All Progressives Party (APC) in Ekiti State have disagreed over intimidation of members’ opposition in the state ahead of the impending June 20 governorship election in the state.
The PDP leaders in the state had accused the administration of Governor Biodun Oyebanji of orchestrating what they described as a coordinated campaign of intimidation, harassment and unlawful arrest of opposition party members.
Addressing a press conference in Ikere-Ekiti at the weekend, the PDP deputy governorship candidate, Hon. Ayodeji Ogunsakin, alleged that armed men suspected to be operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) stormed Ikere-Ekiti in the early hours of Saturday and abducted several PDP members from their homes.
Ogunsakin claimed that the incident occurred around 2 a.m., when residents were alerted to the presence of armed operatives who allegedly invaded homes, broke doors and whisked away occupants to unknown destinations.
“We received distress calls at about 2 a.m. that armed men invaded homes in Ikere-Ekiti. Doors were broken, families were terrorised, and some of our members were taken away. As we speak, their whereabouts remain unknown,” he said.
He alleged that immediate efforts to locate the victims had yielded no result, despite contacting the senior security officials.
“We alerted the Commissioner of Police, and he said he was not aware of any such operation. We also contacted the RRS command, and they denied knowledge of it. So the question remains: who carried out this operation and on whose authority?” he queried.
Reacting to the allegations, the Commissioner for Information, Hon. Taiwo Olatunbosun, dismissed the allegations as untrue, said Governor Oyebanji, is not involved in the arrest of people, urged the PDP should channel their allegations to the security agencies.
Olatunbosun who described the allegations as laughable and untrue, told the PDP leaders to stop trying to seek undue recognition and sympathy .
“People who violate the law, the security agencies are there to do their job. They should adhere to strict rule of law and stop trying to gain attention. They should stop parading thugs as their members.
“The Governor is a peace loving person, with character in leadership and intelligence in the governance of the state”.
The PDP chieftain described the incident as part of what he called an escalating pattern of political intimidation in the state, warning that it could destabilise the democratic atmosphere ahead of the election.
“Democracy is being stretched dangerously in Ekiti. When citizens are picked up in the middle of the night without explanation, it sends a very dangerous signal to the political environment,” he said.
Ogunsakin further alleged that the family residence of the PDP governorship candidate in Ikere-Ekiti was recently invaded by suspected political thugs, adding that the situation had heightened tension within opposition ranks.
He also claimed that some individuals arrested in connection with the incident were later released, while a complainant from the affected family was allegedly detained.
“We are witnessing a situation where victims become suspects and complainants become the ones arrested. That is not how democracy should work,” he said.
The PDP candidate alleged that several party members had been arrested in recent months over what he described as routine political activities, including the display of campaign materials and participation in mobilisation efforts.
“Some of our members are in detention for doing nothing more than expressing political support. Others have been remanded on what we believe are politically motivated charges. This is unacceptable in a democratic society,” he said.
Ogunsakin accused the state government of weaponising state institutions against opposition voices, warning that such actions could heighten political tension ahead of the polls.
“The governor is presiding over a system where opposition voices are increasingly being silenced. This is not the Ekiti we know. This is not democracy,” he stated.
He also called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and relevant security authorities to urgently intervene and ensure the protection of lives, property and democratic rights in the state.
“It cannot be in the interest of Mr. President to see citizens allegedly harassed because of political differences. The essence of democracy is freedom of choice, freedom of expression and freedom of association,” he said.
Ogunsakin further criticised the performance of the Oyebanji administration, arguing that despite increased federal allocations, there was little to show in terms of visible development projects across the state.
He insisted that the PDP’s governorship candidate, Dr. Wole Oluyede, remained the party’s legitimate flag bearer and expressed confidence that the opposition would prevail in the 2026 election.
Responding to questions from journalists, Ogunsakin said the party was still compiling figures on those allegedly affected, as families continued to report missing relatives
“We are still gathering information. Parents, wives and relatives are in distress. One of those affected is a ward chairman in our structure in Ikere-Ekiti. The full picture is still emerging,” he said.
