From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State have engaged in a war of words over attacks on the campaign teams of the two parties.
Daily Sun gathered that, barely 48 hours after the convoy of the PDP governorship candidate, Seyi Makinde, was attacked in Ojoo area of Ibadan, another attack was recorded in Igboora in the Ibarapa axis of the state on Saturday evening during a rally organised by the APC.
It was reported that one person was injured and a vehicle was damaged when the PDP campaign team came under attack in Ojoo, as armed thugs that were said to have ambushed Makinde and his team on their way back from Oyo town, where they had gone for campaign.
In the attack during the APC rally in Igboora, one person, a motorcycle mechanic, was said to have lost his life, even as many other people reportedly sustained varying degrees of injury. The attack was said to have been carried out at about 5:30pm shortly after the APC governorship candidate, Adebayo Adelabu, addressed the crowd. His address followed the speech presented by Governor Abiola Ajimobi.
When contacted, the police public relations officer for the state, Adekunle Ajisebutu, said he was yet to receive details of the incident, hence he could not comment. He promised to give details to Daily Sun later.
In his reaction, the APC spokesperson in the state, Dr. Abdul-Azeez Olatunde, accused the PDP of masterminding the attack, alleging that it was an attempt to kill Adelabu, who, according to him, narrowly escaped the attack.
He explained that the “untoward event occurred barely after the APC guber hopeful, Oloye Bayo Adelabu, finished addressing a capacity crowd of supporters who were apparently in upbeat mood to receive the candidate and his campaign train in the sleepy town.
“Shortly after the address by the duo of the Oyo State governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, and the party governorship candidate, Oloye Bayo Adelabu, some stern-looking PDP hatchet men were poised to attack the gubernatorial candidate of APC, Bayo Adelabu, wielding dangerous weapons as they advanced in his direction to unleash attack on him.”
Olatunde said, but for the security operatives at the rally that whisked Adelabu away to the nearest vehicle for protection, he would have been attacked.
But director of media and publicity for the Oluseyi Makinde Campaign Organisation, Prince Dotun Oyelade, dismissed the allegation.
PDP was the mastermind of the Igboora attack, saying: “It’s nauseating propaganda and unafair on those whose blood have been spilled.”
Oyelade, also in a statement he issued earlier, appealed to the Commissioner of Police and State Director, Department of State Security(DSS) to summon an emergency peace meeting that should be attended by leadership of various political parties with a view to dousing the perceived political violence in the state. He said Makinde has given his words that he would attend such peace meeting gladly because he wants a peaceful poll and does not want bloodletting in the name of seeking political office.
He averred that security commanders “must take his advice seriously because thugs of the government party, the APC are getting bolder, more desperate and audacious with each passing day having realised that electoral defeat is imminent.”
The statement also alleged that Governor Ajimobi, who should be the Chief Security Officer, and the government, have become partisan in support of APC and have purportedly abandoned their roles.
Oyelade made reference to the ‘unprovoked attack’ on PDP team at Ojoo three days ago, as well as other attacks on opposition, saying: “What is more worrisome is the threat of attacks on harmless supporters, who are not necessarily card carrying members of our party but who simply want change and better governance.”