[BREAKING] LG Election: Osun APC tasks IGP to investigate political attack on members during campaign

The Osun State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, and the state Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Muhammed Umar Abba, to ensure that political hoodlums from the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who attacked members of the opposition APC in Ilesa during a local government campaign are held accountable.

It is worth recalling that the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC) has scheduled the local government elections for February 22nd.

In a statement released on Thursday, the APC accused the PDP of unleashing violence against its members during the ongoing electioneering campaign in Ilesa. The party urged the Inspector-General of Police and the state Commissioner of Police to take swift action against those responsible for the attack, which occurred on Wednesday in the Igbogi area of Ilesa.

The statement, signed by the APC’s Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, described the attack as “dastardly” and confirmed that several members of the APC were seriously injured. The APC’s chairmanship candidate for Ilesa West Local Government Area, Mr Tobiloba Famurewa, narrowly escaped the attack, which was reportedly carried out by PDP political thugs.

Although the incident was reported to the Ayeso Police Station, the APC has urged both the Inspector-General of Police and the state Commissioner of Police to take a serious interest in the case, citing the historical context of political violence and avoidable deaths that occurred in Ijesaland during the 2022 and 2023 elections.

The APC also recalled that more than 30 of its members and supporters were killed by PDP thugs in Ijesaland before the 2022 and 2023 elections. The party identified several individuals, alleged to be the ringleaders of the attack, and called on the police to arrest them, investigate their involvement, and prosecute them to serve as a deterrent to other political thugs. The individuals named included Segun Adeyefa, Olaken Adewunmi Oluwajayogbe, Amokeoja Basit, Biodun (aka Obensin), Bidemi Adefidipe, Lekan Adefidipe, Basiru Omole, Lanre Abiola, Ojo Dada, Ayo Babatunde, and Igwe Alhaja.

The APC questioned why its members were attacked if the ruling party, the PDP, was truly popular in Ijesaland and throughout the state. The party also urged its members and supporters in Ilesa and across the state to remain law-abiding and continue to have confidence in the statutory security agencies to address the situation and protect those campaigning for the upcoming local government elections.

…Don’t allow APC to mislead you — PDP tells IGP

In a response, the Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) accused the APC of spreading falsehood in an attempt to manipulate the police and subvert the democratic process. The PDP condemned the APC for portraying itself as the victim, despite being responsible for inflicting violence on PDP members during a rally in Ilesa on Wednesday.

In a statement signed by its Chairman, Hon. Sunday Bisi, the PDP described the APC’s actions as “the height of evil” and called on the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, and the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Muhammed Umar Abba, to reject the APC’s claims and hold them accountable for their violent actions.

Hon. Bisi lambasted the APC for fabricating lies about the Ilesa incident in an attempt to blackmail the police, which he claimed already had the facts and was taking appropriate action. He suggested that the statement from Kola Olabisi was a “media circus” aimed at portraying the APC as a victim.

The PDP clarified that it was their party, not the APC, which held a rally in Ilesa on Wednesday. The APC, they said, had its rally on Tuesday, and the PDP ensured its members stayed away from the area to maintain peace. The PDP further stated that Mr. Famurewa and APC thugs led the violent disruption of the PDP rally, resulting in the injury of two party members, Owopetu Zachariah and Chibuzoh Alex, who were attacked with machetes.

The PDP accused the APC of being the aggressor in this incident and highlighted the commitment of its candidate, Hon. Ditti Aluko, to peace. The party insisted that it had reported the matter to the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), who was displeased by the actions of Mr. Famurewa and his supporters.

Hon. Bisi also referred to several other instances of violence allegedly committed by APC thugs against PDP members, both in the lead-up to the 2023 elections and before. These incidents included the murders of PDP members such as Rafiu Quadri Abiodun, Elijah Baba Ewe, and Gbenga Femi, who were killed by APC thugs in Ilesa.

He also cited the killing of Wole, a PDP member in Ifetedo, and the shooting of Gani Gele, a PDP member in Ila Local Government, by the APC’s Organising Secretary during the March 18 House of Assembly election.

The PDP Chairman charged the police not to fall for the APC’s attempts to conceal its violent actions and derail the upcoming local government elections. He expressed concern that the APC, having failed in the courts, might resort to violence to prevent or discredit the election process. He called for the police to take a strong stance against such anti-democratic elements.

Hon. Bisi concluded by reiterating that the PDP is committed to peace and will support any efforts to ensure the peaceful conduct of the February 22 elections.