Tribunal verdict: Osun boils, as PDP thugs allegedly attack APC candidate, destroy billboards, secretariats
…PDP denies attack
By Seun David
Sequel to the upturning of the election of Governor Ademola Adeleke in favour of Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola by the Osun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal last Friday in Osogbo, no fewer that four members of All Progressive Congress (APC) were hospitalised on Monday after an alleged coordinated attack by thugs of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ile-Ife and Ede. The alleged attacks took place during a political rally of the current member of the House of Representatives in Ile-Ife.
The coordinated attacks across the state also affected destruction of party secretariats in Ife Central, Ede North and Ede south. It was alleged that these thugs were allegedly led by the PDP Reps candidate Hon. Bimbo Ajilesoro and thugs led by Oloriodo, Osogun, Obaluru and Kowope.
This even as some of the leaders of the APC in Ede disclosed that the PDP political hoodlums who went on rampage shortly after the delivery of the judgement on Friday carried out their onslaught on the two APC secretariats that were both located in Ede township.
According to sources, the Peoples Democratic party (PDP) candidates led by Honourable Bimbo Ajilesoro and Obaluru of Ife, Abiodun Mullato led some hoodlums to Ife Central Party Secretariat, thereby shooting guns sporadically in air.
Thereafter they moved to Ita Akogun and attacked the palace of a member of All Progressive Congress (APC).
Investigations also revealed that market women were forced out of their shops after which they destroyed their businesses, thereby making members of All Progressive Congress to attack in return.
It was gathered that Bimbo Ajilesoro called Monitoring team led by Ope number 1 and others that came with guns to subdue the APC members that later ran for their dear lives.
Also, in a statement released by the All Progressive Congress (APC) it was disclosed that some of the leaders of the APC in Ede disclosed that the PDP political hoodlums who went on rampage shortly after the delivery of the judgement on Friday carried out their onslaught on the two APC secretariats that were both located in Ede township.
“During the attack, it was gathered that some members of the APC sustained various degrees of injuries inflicted on them by the rampaging PDP thugs who destroyed the office of the party, vehicles, motorcycles and other valuable office equipment.”
APC in Ede disclosed that their sin before the PDP political thugs was their effrontery to organise prayers in the local governments’ party secretariats shortly after the judgement was given.
The PDP hitmen are threatening to attack and kill some of them in the town, possibly destroying and burning down their houses.
They enjoined the state commissioner of police and other sister security agencies in the state to come to the aid of the APC members and leaders in Ede who are being hunted by the PDP thugs like animals in the bush.
APC leaders in Ede tasked the state Commissioner of Police to, without further delay, use the professional instrumentality of his office to investigate, arrest and prosecute the foot soldiers and the mastermind of the needless political attacks on their members andp property.
According to them, “It is disheartening and worrisome to observe that there are too many illegal firearms and ammunitions in the state which make death to be the cheapest since the inauguration of the recently sacked PDP government in the state.
“For instance, it is a common feature along the streets of Ede in particular and the state in general, to see dangerous political thugs dangling and brandishing new cutlasses and guns all in the name of enjoyment of amity with the state government.”
According to the APC leaders in Ede-North and Ede-South, “How and when has it become an offence for a person to exercise his freedom of association and movement which are fundamental rights under the extant constitution of Nigeria?
“Why must it be an anathema for an indigene of Ede to be a member of another political party other than the PDP simply because the governorship candidate of the party is of the PDP extraction who hails from the ancient town of Ede?
“There are PDP members in Iragbiji, the native town of Alhaji Gboyega Oyetola and there have not been incidents of persecution, attack, maiming and killing of the PDP members and leaders in the ancient town,” the APC leaders in Ede stated.
They also disclosed that quite a sizeable number of the APC members have been chased out of the town by the rampaging PDP thugs who were brandishing new guns, ammunitions and cutlasses.
The APC leaders cautioned the embattled state Governor Ademola Adeleke and his co-travellers to call their funded agents of death to order as no political party has a monopoly of violence.
They wondered if the PDP leaders in the ancient town are not bothered and worried that the hitherto peaceful town is now occupying a centre stage of reportorial for negative reasons.
The concerned APC leaders in Ede questioned rhetorically why it has been impossible for the disgruntled political gladiators in the town to turn over a new leaf and embrace unconditional peace and love for their fellow human beings in the community.
They reminded Adeleke that people write their history everyday and its content is dependent on how everyone in the position of authority at any particular point in time chooses to be part of history.
According to the disenchanted Ede APC leaders, a king whose reign is peaceful and another one whose reign is full of cataclysm will both not be forgotten in history.
“All what we are clamouring for in Ede is playing of politics of tolerance as opposed to that of coercion, victimisation and violence.”
Reacting to the attack on its members, the Director media Osun State All Progressive Congress (APC), Kola Olabisi said that “how can a set of people be attacking another people in the name of politics?
“We condemn the entirety, politics should be devoid of violence, the people are not sure of themselves, I’m enjoining the State Commissioner of police to unveil the characters behind these attacks to investigate, and arrest those who are responsible for these actions.”
In a swift response, Osun State PDP Caretaker Chairman, Dr Adekunle Akindele denied any attack on members of the All Progressive Congress (APC).
He said, “Osun APC is raising fasle alarm simply because it was in trouble over its attempt to steal a popular mandate through the backdoor.
“Osun PDP has no militia. We have no records of thuggery unlike APC that sponsored and nurtured thugs and bandits across Ede and Osun throughout its four years rule.
“Osun PDP members only engage in peaceful protests all over the state. Our members did not attack anybody.
“APC possibly deliberately staged fake attacks to raise false flag. What Osun people have done is to prove their mass support for Governor Ademola Adeleke.
“PDP and its Governor remain popular and everything legal will be done to retain the popular mandate,” he said.
