Adeolu Adeyemo, Osogbo
The Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state on Sunday are again on each other’s throats over accusations and counter accusations of importations of thugs and dangerous weapons ahead of the state House of Assembly election on Saturday.
As PDP chairman in the state, Dr. Akindele Adekunle, called on the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Mr Usman Alkali Baba, to urgently deploy resources to remove dangerous weapons in possession of thugs in service of the main opposition party (APC) in the state, the APC chairman, Sooko Tajudeen Lawal raised the alarm that, the PDP and Adeleke have been using the armed thugs to threaten, scare and terrorise the members and supporters of his party from casting their votes for their choices of candidates in all the past elections in the state.
The PDP in a statement in Osogbo, further argued that,the APC has become increasingly desperate following its woeful performance in the presidential and national assembly elections last on February 25, warning of a serious danger to the state and its people if the Police chief failed to act in time.
Dr Akindele pointed to the terrible experience of the people of Iree in Boripe local government, where a former APC Commissioner and his thugs have been shooting sporadically into the air for the past three days, adding that the scenario is the same in Ayedade local government where the APC Assembly candidate led thugs to kill several fulani cows in the despicable act of intimidating people.
” As at the time of filling this report, APC thugs are parading the streets of Ife East and Central with guns and other dangerous weapons. There are credible report that the arms build up also affected entire Ijeshaland and others .
“Since the outcome of Saturday election was made known, people of Iree town in Boripe local government have been leaving in palpable fear as the sound of gunshots forced many of the residents indoors. To our dismay, there was no military operation in that axis to have warranted such level of gunshots, rather, it was a former Commissioner in Gboyega Oyetola government and his thugs acting with reckless impunity,” the statement noted.
“We understand that he was livid at the poor performance of the APC in the election and angry at the people for making their democratic choice. So, he wants to scare them and make sure they don’t come out on March 11 to exercise their franchise as enshrined in the Constitution.
“Similar despicable act is being experience in Ayedade local government, and just recently, the APC candidate led thugs to kill several fulani cows. This is an overreach and we strongly call on the IGP to swift into action before APC throw Osun on fire out of its desperation.”
The PDP reminded the Police chief of the devastating loss it suffered in the hands of the APC and its thugs in the build up to the February 25 election, asking the police chief to prevent any repeat.
“Before the February 25 election, the APC went on violent spree and the PDP suffered hugely. In Ikire, Irewole local government. Two PDP members were gunned down by the APC in the houses at the dead of the night, and in Ilesa, three PDP members were crudely murdered in broad-day light by the APC,” he recalled.
“PDP member in Osogbo, Ife, Boripe and other parts of the state were casualties of the APC rascality and unreasonable campaign of violence. In spite of all these loses, the PDP did not retaliate and instead, trusting the law that justice will take its course, he expressed.
However, the APC chairman in a separate statement issued by its Director of Media and Information, Chief Kola Olabisi, in Osogbo maintained that, ” it is disheartening, worrisome and scary that the whole state has become a garrison for the political hoodlums who are loyal to Governor Ademola Adeleke and his party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who openly flaunt sophisticated arms and ammunitions in all the towns and villages across the state.
Lawal disclosed that these political thugs who have become willing instruments and tools of oppression, victimisation attacking, maiming and killing of the opposition members by the PDP since the inauguration of the administration of Governor Adeleke on November 27, 2022 have turned the entire state into an abattoir for the slaughtering of human beings.
The acting State APC chairman hinted that the cheapest items in Osun State under Governor Adeleke’s administration are needless unjustifiable attacks and killings, stating that no fewer than 30 members of the opposition have been sent to their untimely death by the Adeleke goons within less than hundred days of his administration.
He explained that the PDP and Adeleke have been using the armed thugs to threaten, scare and terrorise the members and supporters of his party from casting their votes for their choices of candidates in all the past elections in the state.
Lawal stated that before any free, fair and credible election can be held in the state, there is need for the NSA and the IGP to immediately embark on withdrawal of arms which has turned the state into Namibia of the 1970’s where incessant killings were the orders of the day.
He reminded both the NSA and the IGP that they owe the inhabitants of the state the duty of statutory protection of their lives and property as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Lawal explained that the doctrine of his political party of absolute belief in the rules of law which is the hallmark of any genuine democrat would not allow the members and supporters of his party to take to the rule of the jungle where the use of might and force are the instrumentalities of daily operations of the inhabitants.
In his words: “I doubt it if there is any credible, free and fair election that can be held in Osun State under the present heavily militarized condition by the PDP thugs.
“We enjoin your good offices to handle the suggested withdrawal of the illegal arms and ammunitions from the PDP political thugs before the House of Assembly elections this Saturday with dispatch.
“What we are saying is that the electorates should be allowed to vote for their choices of candidates without coercion”, Lawal submitted.
