The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ede, Osun state has alleged that some thugs working for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the town invaded their party offices, destroying property therein.
The party in a statement issued by its Apex leader, Mufutau Oyewale on Monday, January 30, 2023, disclosed that the attack was an aftermath of the election petition tribunal verdict that sacked Governor Ademola Adeleke, who incidentally is from Ede.
The statement added that the hoodlums went on a rampage shortly after the verdict and burnt the APC secretariat in Ede South while that of Ede-North was destroyed.
It stated further that the PDP hitmen are threatening to attack and kill some of the party leaders in the town and possibly destroy and burn their houses.
“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 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 and 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 statement reads.
Reacting, Osun PDP Chairman, Akindele Adekunle described the allegation as a mere distraction from public outcry against the party, saying PDP has no thugs or militia arms anywhere in the state.
“Osun APC is raising false 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 which sponsored and nurtured thugs and bandits across Ede and Osun throughout its four years of 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 a false flag. What the Osun people have done is 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.
Fresh Protest Rocks Osun Over Tribunal Judgement Sacking Governor Adeleke
Following Friday’s Osun election petition tribunal judgment in favour of former governor Adegboyega Oyetola, protesters have blocked major roads within the State capital, Osogbo.
Daily Post reports that the protesting residents of the State have blocked the busy Osogbo-Ikirun road, Gbongan-Ibadan road, Oke-Fia, Old Garage, and Freedom Park.
They were seen on Saturday, January 28, 2023, disrupting the free flow of traffic, harassing and beating up minibus (korope) drivers.
Commercial motorcyclists were not spared as well.
The development caused many commuters to be stranded, just as many business owners who owned shops around the axis did not open for business transactions.
However, the protests did not spread to residential areas as daily activities went on as usual without disturbances
The protests also spread to towns like Ikirun, Ilesa, Ilobu, Iwo, Ile-Ife, and other towns where residents annoyed with the tribunal judgment also trooped out enmasse to protests.
Meanwhile, the Osun All Progressives Congress, APC, expressing concern has urged the Inspector General of Police, Alkali Baba Usman to intervene and put a stop to the threat to lives and properties rocking Osun.
This was made known in a press statement put out by Tajudeen Lawal, the Osun APC acting Chairman.
Lawal also wanted the IGP to urgently prevail on the leadership of the State police command to prioritize its statutory function of the protection of lives and property of the residents of the State.
According to him, “Information authoritatively has it that the PDP political thugs have formed themselves into cells in Osogbo, the State capital, where they were burning tyres in the middle of the roads amidst intimidation of innocent people.
“It is strange that the police in the State are looking away while these agents of death are perpetrating their political violence on the innocent people of the State.
“If the leadership of the police does not tackle the lingering insecurity issue headlong, there is a temptation by discerning minds to observe, suspect, believe, and conclude that the police are working in cahoots with the PDP and the recently sacked Governor Adeleke to terrorise the opposition members in the State,” the APC chairman opined.
Yemisi Opalola, the Osun Police Command spokesperson, when contacted stated that the situation was now under control.
In her words, “More men have been deployed to the identified spots where roads were blocked to traffic. The situation is under control.”
Source: Vanguard
