Election violence: APC urges IGP to investigate Osun monarch
…Stop castigating, harassing Alapomu — Osun PDP warns APC
By Ismail Azeez, Osogbo
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun, has urged the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun to take swift action regarding a viral video of the traditional ruler in the state inciting electoral violence.
The party condemned the alleged role of Alapomu of Apomu, Oba Kayode Adenekan Afolabi which was said led to the rigging of the House of Representatives’ election in the Aiyedaade/Isokan/Ikire Federal Constituency for the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Oladebo Lanre Olomololaye, during the 2023 elections.
According to Osun APC the self-confession of complicity of the monarch, the incitement of electoral violence against the APC supporters in the election has been causing ripples within the community and the state at large.
The APC, In a statement signed by the party Director of Media and information Mr Kolapo Olabisi, said that the traditional ruler was heard in the recorded video where he stated that he felt slighted when ‘Akogun’ came to inform him a day to the election that a powerful royal force championed by the traditional ruler of Gbongan, the Olufi, was the one championing the defeat of the PDP candidate in the election.
“The violence-preaching Alapomu explained further that it would be an insult to him for the Olufi to take such a stand as history has conferred the role of a father to him(the Alapomu) based on the historical record that Gbongan was founded in 1793 and that he would prove to the Oba of Gbongan that the Alapomu was his father.
“The Alapomu in the trending video voluntarily stated further that based on the circumstances surrounding the election, it would assume the likeness of being between him and the Olufi of Gbongan with an instruction to the PDP to deploy everything possible to win the election, including ‘taata taata’ (sound of gunshots) with an assurance that no one could challenge an Oba but God.
In the Alapomu’s words: “I told MAO who is sitting at my back on this occasion that if it could become a war, it should be and if it was a mere fight, let it be. No one can arrest an Oba but God. For whatever it might entail, go and do all necessary things to ensure that Lanre wins the election. That was how the atmosphere became Ta! Ta!! Ta!!!”.
In its reaction, the APC said, “It was disheartening that a traditional ruler could descend so low to use his exalted office to incite the electorates to violence in his domain where ideally he is supposed to be a father to all regardless of party difference.
“With this unveiled unsavoury development, the Alapomu has proven to the world that he is not a worthy ambassador of the highly revered Obas whose conduct, actions and inactions have secured a place of pride for the state in Nigeria and beyond.
“We would like to state unequivocally that it is the inalienable right of Oba Kayode Adenekan Afolabi to be a card-carrying member of any political party but such would be dignified if he can choose between the crown and partisan politics as there is no way that he can dutifully command the respect of his subjects by identifying openly with a political party as the Alapomu.
“The proof of the allegation levelled against the Alapomu as evident in the audio/visual recording is iron-cast as he could not deny the fact that he is not the one in the video spewing unroyal political gibberish which ideally should be the preserve of the flotsam and jetsam members of the society.
“There is nothing to show that Oba Afolabi is a man of peace as he was not on record to have condemned the violence that characterised the 2022 Governorship and 2023 General Elections respectively.
“Oba Afolabi would further help the course of justice if he could tell the whole world what he meant by ‘Ta! Ta!! Taaa!!! and disclose the identities of both ‘Akogun’ and ‘Mao’ that he was referring to in the recorded video.
“Since ours is a country been administered by the rule of law where no man should be oppressed, it is our wish that the Inspector-General of Police should show a prompt deserving interest in the development by investigating the content of the video with a view to making the laws of the land to perform its role if only to serve as a deterrent to others.
“It is ironical that the beneficiary of the Alapomu preachment of political violence, Mr. Oladebo Lanre Olomololaye, has been the representative of Ayedaade/Isokan/Irewole Federal Constituency in the 10th House of Representatives under the platform of the PDP.”
However, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), in Osun has issued a stern warning to the All Progressives Congress (APC) to stop harassing and intimidating the Alapomu of Apomu land, Oba Kayode Adenekan Afolabi for supporting his son in the 2023 election.
Reacting to the statement, the State Chairman, Hon. Sunday Bisi described the opposition party as a clout chaser who is always dying for attention with their rudderless statements.
“Kabiyesi Oba Kayode Adenekan Afolabi never incited electoral violence as the confused opposition implied.
“APC should be reminded that during their 12 years of unproductive administration in Osun State, there was a king who left his royal stool and joined campaign multiple times, with uncensored political statements made in the open without anyone asking for his head or arrest as Apc vuvuzelas are doing today.
“The said monarch we would recall, turned the town into a cell of hell for members of the opposition party, especially those of our party during his days. Kola Olabisi must have forgotten how highly his party held the king because it was in their favour.
“APC is known for promoting violence, terror, and harassment against political opponents as we all saw in the past.
“It is quite unfortunate that the opposition party still dwells in the pains of their rejection in the 2023 election, wailing at any slight opportunity on the massive defeat they suffered in 2022/2023 elections.
“Governor Ademola Adeleke’s performance has further shown that the Osun APC is better dissolved into a political pressure group whose main preoccupation is to look for who to insult and blackmail. It is amusing that the opposition group, after failing in government, are also failing as opposition.
“It’s worth noting that traditional rulers hold significant cultural values in Nigeria, especially in Yoruba land. Unfortunately, the APC in Osun state seems to disregard this, showing a lack of respect for these esteemed leaders just because they failed to recover and move on after losing an election they bargained lose,” he concluded.
