Osun State chapter of the Accord Party has accused the State Police Command of selective policing and targeting its members ahead of the August 15 governorship election.

The party’s position follows the police dismissal of allegations by the Imole Campaign Council that it had compiled a list of political figures for arrest before the governorship poll.

In a statement signed by the Osun Accord Chairman, Pastor Victor Akande, the party rejected the police’s explanation for recent raids and arrests, alleging that security operations were being used to intimidate its leaders and members rather than tackle criminal activities.

According to the Accord, “the police had departed from their constitutional responsibility by allegedly focusing on members of the party while failing to act against individuals it claimed were linked to the All Progressives Congress (APC).”

The party alleged that individuals such as Kazeem Oyewale, popularly known as Asiri Eniba, and others allegedly connected to the APC had not been subjected to similar security operations despite facing criminal allegations. It further claimed that selective policing was undermining public confidence in the security agencies.

Referring to an incident in Ikire, Accord alleged that one of its members, Taofeeq Akinyemi, who was recently arrested and transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, had earlier been shot by an individual identified as Akinkunmi Alabi, also known as Ojuyobo.

The party claimed Akinyemi survived after receiving medical treatment and questioned why the alleged attacker had not been arrested.

Akande said, “As a political party, we very much support any effort that will put criminals away so as to guarantee a peaceful and free poll, but we will not accept the subtle attempt by the Police to brand the membership of Accord as being criminal.”

The Accord chairman urged the police to review their operations, release what the party described as political detainees, including Akinyemi, and ensure that policing remained impartial throughout the election period.

The Osun State Police Command has also maintained that their operations are strictly aimed at combating crime across the state.

The command denied the existence of any such list and insisted that its operations were not politically motivated.

Responding to the allegations, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abiodun Ojelabi, reiterated that the command had not drawn up any list of politicians for arrest and was not targeting any political party.

Ojelabi said, “We are raiding black spots and criminal hideouts every day to sanitise the environment for the forthcoming election, and this raid is not targeted at any individual, group of persons or political party. It is targeted at criminal hideouts. We don’t have any list anywhere; the police do not formulate any list.”

He added that the command would continue intelligence-led operations against criminal elements across the state and advised parents to discourage their children from late-night movements and association with individuals with criminal records.

Ojelabi also noted that the proposed joint security task force announced by the state government had yet to commence operations.

Chelsea have set a £70 million asking price for Pedro Neto amid significant interest from Manchester City this summer.

Neto has become one of City’s main attacking targets after scoring five goals and providing six assists during Chelsea’s challenging Premier League campaign last season.

The 26-year-old joined the Blues in a transfer valued at approximately £51 million in 2024 and has contributed to the west London club’s victories in both the Europa Conference League and the Club World Cup during his tenure.

This weekend, he was seen boarding a flight to Hong Kong to join Xabi Alonso’s squad for their pre-season match against Juventus on Wednesday.

According to The Sun, however, Neto’s time at Chelsea may be coming to an end, as City are preparing to test their rivals’ determination with a substantial initial offer for the Portugal international.

It is reported that City head coach, Enzo Maresca has played a pivotal role in Chelsea’s potential move to acquire Neto, having previously collaborated with the winger during his 18-month tenure at Stamford Bridge.

The report further suggests that City might need to fend off interest from Serie A powerhouses AC Milan for Neto, but a deal could be reached with an offer around £70 million before the transfer deadline.

Milan have prioritized Neto on their list of wingers as they prepare for the potential exit of Rafael Leao ahead of the upcoming season.

Chelsea consider Neto a vital part of their squad and locker room, but they acknowledge that a significant offer could change their position regarding the forward’s future.

Neto’s agent Jorge Mendes has also offered Neto to Al-Hilal but the player has major reservations about moving to the Saudi Pro League and wishes to continue playing at the highest level.

Though a regular starting spot may not be immediately guaranteed at City, the former Braga and Wolves star is said to be ‘open’ to the idea of leaving Chelsea for the Etihad.

Neto’s current contract with Chelsea is not due to expire until June 2031.

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Sunday, visited former president Olusegun Obasanjo in Abeokuta, Ogun state, amid political permutations ahead of the 2027 general election.

In a post on his Facebook page, the governor visited the former Nigerian leader with former governor of Ekiti state, Kayode Fayemi as well as former Osun state governor, Olagunsoye Oyinlola.

Makinde, the presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, said the meeting focused on a range of national issues ahead of next year’s general election.

According to the Facebook post, Makinde said, “earlier today, we visited Baba, His Excellency Chief Olusegun Obasanjo GCFR in Abeokuta.

“Our discussions centred on important national issues in view of the upcoming general election. We appreciate Baba for his wise counsel at this crucial time in our nation’s history.”

Recall that in May, Makinde, who is completing his second term as Oyo governor, officially declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election.

DAILY POST reports that Oyinlola is a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, while Fayemi remains a member of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Meanwhile, Obasanjo is yet to publicly declare who he will support in the 2027 election.

General Overseer of  Living Faith Church Worldwide, a.k.a Winners Chapel, Bishop David Oyedepo, has taken a swipe at President Bola Tinubu over the worsening insecurity and economic hardship in Nigeria.

In a viral video shared online, Oyedepo alleged that Tinubu administration was failing to take decisive action to address the challenges bedeviling Nigerian people.

The cleric expressed anger over the persistent attacks and killings across the country, issuing a note of warning that Nigerians who have endured the situation for a long time may no longer remain silent.

The General Overseer, however, condemned those behind the attacks and killing of armless Nigerians, stating that victims should not be expected to show sympathy towards the perpetrators of the heinous crime.

“The president needs to act now and stop pretending.You can’t slaughter members of my family and expect me to pray for you. I will pray against you and your household.

“The government is pretending like they don’t know what to do. I have been quiet for a long time, but the bubble is about to burst,” he fumed.

He equally accused the government of appearing unaware of the severity of the security crisis, saying leaders had failed to demonstrate the urgency required to protect citizens and restore confidence.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has warned Supervisory Presiding Officers, SPOs, and transport unions against partisanship.

It directed them to ensure the timely deployment of personnel and election materials across the state.

The warning is coming ahead of the August 15 Osun State governorship election.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, issued the directives on Friday during separate engagements in Osogbo as part of his readiness assessment tour ahead of the off-cycle governorship election.

Addressing leaders of transport unions at the INEC State Office, Amupitan said the Commission expected complete neutrality from all transport providers engaged for the election, stressing that vehicles contracted for the exercise would operate strictly under INEC’s supervision.

He said the commission had entrusted the unions with election logistics because of their operational capacity, but warned that any display of political allegiance by drivers or transport operators would not be tolerated during the electoral process.

“The moment we engage you for the purpose of this election, we are supposed to own your fleet, and therefore use it in accordance with our regulations.

“We are not supposed to take sides with anyone,” Amupitan said.

The INEC Chairman also emphasised the importance of punctual logistics, directing that vehicles should be available before Registration Area Centres, RACs, become operational at noon on the eve of the election.

He added that election personnel and materials must arrive at polling units by 7.30 a.m. to enable voting to commence at 8.30 a.m. as scheduled.

According to him, the Commission has introduced a real-time monitoring dashboard to track the opening of polling units nationwide, noting that delays caused by vehicle breakdowns or driver unavailability would not be accepted.

He added that Osun’s 30 local government areas, 322 registration areas and 3,763 polling units would require efficient logistics, particularly in difficult terrains.

The INEC Chairman while addressing Supervisory Presiding Officers undergoing training at Ataoja School of Science, Osogbo, warned them against compromising the integrity of the electoral process by yielding to pressure from politicians.

He instructed the officers to comply strictly with the Commission’s operational manuals, insisting that election materials must not be delayed, diverted or released in instalments during the exercise.

“No delay of materials on your part, no diversion of materials, and please don’t allow politicians to use you,” Amupitan told the trainees, describing the Osun governorship poll as the final off-cycle election before the 2027 general elections and one that would attract nationwide attention.

Responding on behalf of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, the union’s Head of Organisation, Olayioye Adesina, assured INEC that adequate measures had been put in place to guarantee smooth logistics throughout the election despite the union’s internal leadership disputes.

Adesina said the National Executive of the union had assumed responsibility for coordinating the Osun assignment to avoid allegations of factional influence.

He added that only roadworthy, unbranded vehicles would be deployed, while drivers and coordinators had undergone sensitisation on INEC’s operational guidelines in collaboration with the Federal Road Safety Corps.