Despite an order from the Oyo state High Court to stop further arrest of the candidate of the Zenith Labour Party for Ibadan Northwest/Southwest federal constituency, Otunba Rotimi Ajanaku, the state police command on Thursday arrested the businessman.
The serving lawmaker in the constituency, Mr. Saheed Fijabi had recently called the police to effect Ajanaku’s arrest for alleged assassination plot on him, but Ajanaku described the allegations as political attempt to take him out of circulation.
Ajanaku, in motion ex-parte suit No: M/65/2019 filed at the State High Court to stop his arrest made available to journalists in Ibadan, urged the court to restrain the police from further steps to arrest or put in jeopardy his right to dignity.
Shortly after Ajanaku was arrested at Apata police station on Thursday, another set of police team arrived the station around 4:30 pm to take him to the State Criminal Investigation Department at Iyaganku command.
Ajanaku, a former supporter of the incumbent Governor Abiola Ajimobi defected two months ago to former Governor Rashidi Ladoja’s ZLP and had since been in a running battle with his arch rival, Fijabi, who had both been contesting the primaries of the party since 2011.
While addressing journalists at the station on Thursday, Ajanaku described his arrest as impunity of the highest order and a rape on the rule of law, urging his supporters to remain calm.
He said, “despite all our efforts to explain to the police, they continue to harass me. I showed them our court order but yet they didn’t respect the order.
“I don’t know anything about the issue and that was why I was granted bail when they arrested me the other day. But I know the truth will prevail.”
The state’s publicity secretary of the ZLP, Olajide Olanipekun, in a telephone interview with journalists described the arrest as a misuse of power by the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Olanipekun said the opposition had been going to town to spread rumours that our candidates in ZLP, are not contesting; but after they failed, they have started to clamp down on our flag bearers.
The state’s Police Public Relations Officer, Lawrence Fadeyi, claimed ignorance of the development but promised to call back, as at the time of filing this report.
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