By Ado Oyeyemi
The residence of the Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, Adewale Egbedun, was reportedly surrounded by armed security personnel in more than 10 black Hilux vehicles on Saturday, with occupants allegedly prevented from leaving the premises.
The development occurred as residents of the state went to the polls to participate in the governorship election.
The claim was made in a statement issued by the spokesperson for The Imole Campaign Council, Pelumi Olajengbesi, who described the reported security deployment as a cause for concern.
According to the statement, the security personnel arrived at the Speaker’s residence in more than 10 black Hilux vehicles and allegedly sealed off the premises.
The campaign council, however, said it could not independently establish the purpose of the deployment or determine whether the personnel were providing security or conducting an official operation.
It consequently called on the relevant security agencies to immediately explain the reason for the deployment and the reported restriction of movement at the residence.
The statement said attempts to obtain clarification from security authorities were unsuccessful.
It added that calls placed to the publicly available contact line of the Commissioner of Police for the election and the DIG Election contact line were not answered.
The council also said its attempt to reach the Police Situation Room failed because the publicly provided number was switched off.
The development has raised concerns over the security environment surrounding the election, with the campaign council urging authorities to ensure that security operations do not create fear or intimidation among voters.
The statement said, “On this Election Day, the people of Osun State deserve an atmosphere free from fear and intimidation.
Security deployments must inspire confidence and protect the integrity of the electoral process.”
The council urged residents to remain peaceful and law-abiding while awaiting an official explanation from the relevant security authorities.
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It also called on security agencies to ensure that voters were allowed to exercise their franchise freely and without intimidation or interference.
