The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) from the Southern District of Ondo State has raised the alarm over alleged plan orchestrated by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to carry out illegal arrest of top PDP leaders in Ondo South ahead of the general election in February 16, this year.

In a statement on Monday by a chieftain of the party and chairman campaign committee for Okitipupa Local Government in Ondo State, Hon. Solomon Bitire, the PDP alleged that the meeting for the illegal arrest of top PDP leaders in Ondo South to pave the way for rigging and manipulation of election results was held at the residences of high ranking APC leaders in Okitipupa and Ese Ode Local Government respectively where the list was compiled.

Bitire called on the police and other security agencies to be professional in their conduct and not allow themselves to be used by politicians as instruments of oppression and electoral malpractices.

The statement reads:

“We want to alert the general public, Non Governmental Organisation, Civil Societies, and International Communities over the orchestrated plans by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State to arrest top leaders of party (PDP) ahead of the February 16 general election.

The list of top leaders of PDP to be arrested few days to the general election was compiled in Okitipupa and Ese Odo Local Government areas of Ondo State at the residences of high ranking APC chieftains within the mentioned local governments.

We call on the police and other security agencies to be professional in their conduct and not allow themselves to be used as agent of oppression and electoral malpractices.

This election will come and go. In the next few weeks, power will change hands in Nigeria.

Civil Societies, Non Governmental Organisation and international communities should take note of this fact and caution the APC to desist from undemocratic acts that can truncate the peace of our communities.

It should however be noted that impunity is the hall mark of the ruling APC ever since they took over power from the PDP since 2015,” the statement added.