African Democratic Congress claims federal government plans to detain Aregbesola, issues caution.

The African Democratic Congress has sounded the alarm over an alleged plot by security agencies to apprehend its National Secretary, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, in the run-up to Saturday's governorship election in Osun State.

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The opposition party claims to have received credible intelligence about plans to detain the former Osun State governor in the days preceding the election, warning that such a move could exacerbate political tensions in the state.

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In a statement released on Wednesday, the party's National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, expressed concern over what he described as a pattern of intimidation and harassment of opposition figures, as well as the alleged misuse of state institutions.

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The statement noted that "The African Democratic Congress has received credible reports of plans to arrest our National Secretary, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, in the days leading to Saturday's Osun State election," and urged the Federal Government and security agencies to exercise restraint.

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The party cautioned that any action that could disrupt the electoral process or undermine public confidence in the election should be avoided, particularly given Aregbesola's expected role in coordinating the party's activities during the election.

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Aregbesola, a former governor of Osun State and former Minister of the Interior, is expected to play a key role in the party's election efforts, and the ADC argued that if any security agency had legitimate grounds to question him, established legal procedures should be followed.

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The party emphasized that "Ogbeni Aregbesola is a former governor of Osun State, a former minister of the Federal Republic and the National Secretary of the opposition political party," and that if any security agency had a lawful reason to invite him, there are established procedures for doing so.

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The ADC warned that arresting Aregbesola shortly before the election could create the impression that the action was intended to prevent him from performing his responsibilities as a senior official of the opposition party, and that "An arrest on the eve of an election in which his party is participating would invite only one reasonable conclusion: that the purpose is to prevent him from leading and coordinating the party's election activities."

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The allegation comes amid heightened political tension in Osun ahead of Saturday's governorship poll, with concerns over alleged intimidation, inflammatory rhetoric, electoral violence, and the conduct of security agencies.

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The election has significant implications for the broader realignment of opposition forces ahead of the 2027 general elections, and the party said the alleged plan to arrest Aregbesola should not be viewed in isolation from the wider political environment surrounding the Osun election.

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The ADC's National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, stated that "We therefore put the Federal Government and the security agencies on notice," and that "The eyes of Nigerians are on Osun."

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Abdullahi added that the authorities' conduct before, during, and after the election would be judged by their actions rather than explanations offered after the poll, and that "Whatever happens before, during and after Saturday's election will be judged not by the explanations offered afterwards, but by the actions taken now."

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The party specifically cautioned the Federal Government against taking any step that could worsen tensions in Osun, warning that "The APC Federal Government must be wary of doing anything that could plunge Osun State into needless crisis."

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The ADC emphasized that Nigeria remains a democracy and urged the government to respect democratic institutions, political competition, and the rights of opposition parties to participate fully in the election, stating that "Nigeria is still a democracy, and the government would do well to remember that before Saturday."

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The party vowed to continue monitoring developments and urged Nigerians to pay close attention to events surrounding the election.