The Imole Campaign Council has called on the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to immediately redeploy the Commissioner of Police overseeing security for the forthcoming Osun State governorship election, Ibrahim Gotan, over allegations of partisan conduct.
The campaign council made the demand in a statement issued on Saturday by Bamidele Sallam, Chairman of the Media and Publicity Sub-Committee of the council.
Sallam alleged that Gotan had failed to maintain the neutrality expected of a senior police officer responsible for election security, accusing him of actions that could undermine public confidence in the electoral process.
According to the council, the police commissioner’s alleged conduct has raised concerns among stakeholders ahead of the election.
The campaign council further accused Gotan of allegedly aiding attacks by suspected thugs linked to the All Progressives Congress (APC) against supporters of the Accord Party.
It urged the IGP to investigate the allegations and redeploy the commissioner to ensure a level playing field and restore confidence in the security arrangements for the election.
The council said the neutrality and professionalism of security agencies would be critical to ensuring that the Osun governorship election is conducted peacefully, transparently and credibly.
The allegations, however, remain claims by the Imole Campaign Council, and the police authorities have yet to publicly respond to the accusations.