The PDP chapter in Osun State demanded on Friday that Mr. Abayomi Oladipo, the commissioner of police in charge of elections, be fired for having a bias against the party.

Speaking to reporters in Osogbo, the acting chairman of the Osun PDP, Dr. Adekunle Akindele, claimed that armed members of the Nigerian Police and thugs from outside the state had invaded the state to cause mayhem and unrest.

He claimed that the party's top official hosted the armed men at his home when they were allegedly brought to the state. The PDP further claimed that the top party official had given the armed men a list of PDP leaders and members who should be detained and arrested without warrants.

"As I speak to you today, the PDP leaders are being pursued and detained in Gestapo-like fashion. Our leaders' homes are raided and surrounded all over Osun State, even without a search warrant. When our leaders are away from home, their families are detained and their cars are seized under a variety of fictitious justifications.

"An undemocratic operation is in progress statewide to select and imprison prominent PDP leaders before the upcoming state election. We are shocked that such a large-scale raid is being carried out against the political party in power, clearly in violation of the affected people's fundamental human rights. "Unfortunately, the Police Commissioner has not performed his duties in a professional manner. There was no response to any of the PDP's petitions regarding the violent attacks on our members. We've come to the conclusion that the election for the state's commissioner of police (Abayomi Oladipo) is partisan and biased. "We demand his immediate redeployment," Akindele said.

He also requested that Usman Baba Alkali, the Inspector General of Police, look into allegations of violence committed by APC members in the state. However, Mr. Tajudeen Lawal, the acting chairman of the Osun APC, responded that the PDP's accusations were odd and unfounded.

The PDP leaders would have no reason to object to police officers carrying out their mandated duties of effective policing, according to the party, which noted that its chieftains were ardent supporters of the rule of law and would as a result adhere to it.