Osun Tribunal: APC, PDP trade words over plans to debase Gov. Oyetola

…PDP to attack APC — APC

By Ismail Azeez, Osogbo

The Officials of All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have engaged in verbal attacks over plans to attack APC members and debase Governi Gboyega Oyetola.

A source close to the Osun State  Chairman of the  APC said that as the ongoing Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal resumes sitting today (Monday) from its adjournment last Wednesday,  the statutory and informal security agencies in the state  have been charged to tighten  up security paraphernalia within and around  the State High Court, venue of the tribunal proceedings.

According to sources,  the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state have concluded an arrangement to cause mayhem with the aid of some hired thugs within and outside the venue of the tribunal on Monday.

It was learnt that the attack would be targeted at the members and supporters of the APC in order to, if possible, frustrate the subpoena of the state Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to the tribunal today (Monday).

It would be recalled that the governorship election petition tribunal in its ruling last Wednesday granted the prayers of  Governor Gboyega Oyetola and the APC attorneys to subpoena the  Osun State INEC to present Senator Ademola Adeleke’s  Form CF 001, being the nomination form and all its attachments, including the certificates used in the 2018 election.

The state Chairman of the APC,  Prince Gboyega Famodun, in a statement issued by his Media Adviser, Kola Olabisi, in Osogbo, today, enjoined all the members and supporters of the ruling party to attend the tribunal proceedings as principal stakeholders in the political affairs of the state.

Famodun also tasked  the APC members and their supporters to conduct themselves peacefully within and outside the venue of the tribunal even in the face of provocation from any quarters.

He also charged the police authority and their sister agencies in the state to be proactive on the development with a view to nipping in the bud  any unfavourable security threat at the venue of the ongoing tribunal.

Famodun also condemned an unconfirmed report that the state chapter of the PDP has concluded an arrangement to plant some hoodlums at different locations in the state with a mandate to be booing Governor Oyetola, members of his cabinet and notable leaders of the APC.

It was also gathered that the hired thugs who would be working in conjunction with some members of the PDP  have been slated to be used to forcefully halt the normal activities in the State House of Assembly, Abere, Osun State starting from Thursday.

It would be recalled that former state Governor Bisi Akande was subjected to booing and physical attacks by the PDP hoodlums in Osogbo, the state capital, few days to the end of his tenure in the office.

Akande was not even allowed to access his office in Abere by the overzealous PDP leaders and their thugs who created a barricade against the Governor’s convoy and the vehicles of some other principal members of his cabinet between Ogo-oluwa and Abere area of Osogbo.

Reacting, the People Democratic Party, PDP, Director of Media, Bamiji Oladele disclosed that members of the APC are being afraid of their shadow.

He said that politics is not a do-or-die affair for the PDP, noting that the election tribunal case has been on for month without any attack.

Oladele maintained that PDP as a party has nothing to be afraid of as the tribunal case is concerned.

He charged the members of his party (PDP) to look out for the possible sinister of the people in APC.

According to him, “You would recall that on the 16th there was a major issue where some people were arrested with guns in a government plate number car that is why I said they are afraid of their own shadow.

“We are hearing some effort to leverage on to bury that issue where they are trying to fly the kite of the people arrested been addressed as Hunters. I don’t know what Hunters are doing within the Court premise in broad daylight. The State High Court is not a government forest reserve where one will say the hunters are there to hunt down antelope or grasscutters.

“We are still waiting on the police to give more clarification, the police PRO, Yemi Opalola has given an update, but to me that is not enough because there is still emphasis that the people arrested identified themselves as Hunters that they were given the assignment to look after the State High Court that to me make the whole issue messier.

“We are waiting on the police to dig  deep to that investigation and let us know what actually transpired with those arrested,” he added