Omoyele Sowore has accused officers of the Nigeria Police Force of firing tear gas at him and members of his team while they were travelling to Osogbo, Osun State, ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.
Sowore made the allegation in a post on his verified X account on Wednesday, as political activities intensified across the state ahead of the August 15 governorship poll.
The African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate said the incident occurred while he and his supporters were making their way into Osun State.
According to him, the group had earlier engaged the police officers in what he described as a peaceful and respectful discussion.
He alleged, however, that the situation changed after they resumed their journey.
“Despite our having a respectful and peaceful conversation with them, they secretly fired tear gas at us as we continued on our journey,” Sowore wrote.
The activist said the alleged use of tear gas did not prevent him and his supporters from continuing to Osogbo.
He maintained that the action was meant to intimidate his group but failed to achieve that objective.
“But their intimidation failed. We pushed through, arrived in Oshogbo and triumphed,” he stated.
Sowore also criticised the conduct of the police personnel involved in the incident, arguing that security officers deployed ahead of an election should protect politicians and voters rather than become involved in actions that could create fear or tension.
“The police should be protecting citizens and safeguarding the democratic process, not attacking peaceful political actors,” he wrote.
There was also no immediate response from the Nigeria Police Force to the specific allegation at the time of filing this report.
The activist has repeatedly accused security personnel of using excessive force against protesters and political opponents.
In June, he alleged that police officers attacked demonstrators during a protest in Abuja and fired tear gas at the crowd.
Politics Nigeria had reported on June 12 that Sowore collapsed during the confrontation after inhaling tear gas fired by police officers.
He subsequently announced that he would continue with public demonstrations despite the incident.
In a related news, the police and other security agencies have faced growing scrutiny in Osun over the handling of political activities ahead of the governorship election.
Recall on June, Governor Ademola Adeleke called for the redeployment of the Osun State Commissioner of Police ahead of the poll.
Adeleke made the demand during a meeting with a delegation from the Nigeria Police Force sent by the Inspector-General of Police to assess the security situation in the state.
The governor cited concerns over the conduct of the police command and questioned its neutrality ahead of the election. He argued that changes were needed to restore confidence in the security arrangements for the poll.
The call came a day after a peace meeting organised by the Osun State Police Command in Osogbo ended without the participation of two major political parties.
The APC and Accord Party were absent from the meeting, which was organised to encourage political parties and other stakeholders to commit to a peaceful election.
Political violence also remained a concern in the state.
On June 27, an APC member, Taofeek Mustapha, was shot in the Oluode-Aranyin area of Osogbo in an attack blamed on suspected political thugs.
Mustapha said he was targeted because he was wearing a cap associated with the APC governorship campaign.
“I put on the AMBO crested cap when the shooting occurred,” he said.
He added that he attempted to escape after the attackers opened fire but was eventually shot.
“I did not wait but was shot. I cried for help before they retrieved back into the vehicle and drove away,” Mustapha stated.
The Osun State Police Command confirmed the shooting and said an investigation had commenced.
Moreover, Security concerns also emerged after the police detained Osun State Secretary to the Government, Teslim Igbalaye, following a raid on his residence in Osogbo on July 29.
Police said the operation followed intelligence indicating that suspected criminals were hiding at the residence.
Officers reportedly recovered cash, voter cards and other items which were being investigated in connection with possible electoral offences.
The Osun State Government, however, disputed the police account and accused officers of entering the residence without a search warrant.
