A group of politicians within the camp of the ruling All Progressives Congress in Oyo State, the APC Unity Forum, on Thursday petitioned President Muhammadu Buhari over alleged threat to its members’ lives by Governor Abiola Ajimobi of the state.
Members of the forum include the Minister of Communication, Alhaji Adebayo Shittu; former Chief of Staff in the state, Professor Adeolu Akande; a serving Senator, Monsurat Sunmonu; House of Representatives members, Hon. Adedapo Lam Adesina, Hon. Sunbo Olugbemi, Hon. Abiodun Olasupo, Hon. Taiwo Akintola and Hon. Sunday Adepoju, among others.
The group in the petition signed by its Secretary, Dr. Wasiu Olatubosun, explained that members of the group “have been receiving threats of attack and death, if they dare turn up at the state congress of the party on Saturday May 19.”
Olatubosun noted that the threat was coming less than three days to the state congress of the party billed for May 19, 2018.
The petition reads, “We are constrained to direct this letter to Your Excellency because of the urgent need for you to use your good offices as the Chief Security Officer of the country to intervene in the unrelenting threat to the lives of our members and the threat to public peace by individuals and groups, who surreptitiously identify themselves as defending Governor Abiola Ajimobi’s interest in the APC.
“As you are well aware, since the unfortunate incident at the secretariat of the APC on Saturday May 5, 2018, when hoodlums invaded the venue of a stakeholders’ meeting of the party and attacked law-abiding elders and members of the party, our members have daily come under threats to their lives.
“The threat to our lives has been reported to security agencies in the state. However, it continued unabated. A new dimension has been added to these threats. Many members of the group have been receiving threats of attack and death, if they dare turn up at the state congress of the party on Saturday May 19.”
Continuing, the group’s secretary said, “I wish to assert members of the group are law-abiding citizens to whom the government of Oyo State owes a responsibility for their safety and protection against threat from any quarters.
“We have been forced by the tenacity of these threats to report and seek refuge in the intervention of the Inspector General of Police and the Commissioner of Police in Oyo State; Obas of Oyo State, including the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi 111; the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Saliu Adetunji; and the Soun of Ogbomosho, Oba Jimoh Oyewumi Ajagungbade.
“We have also sought refuge in the intervention of our religious leaders, including the Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Alhaji Dauda Makanjuola, and the leadership of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs and the Christian Association of Nigeria.”
The group then called on President Buhari to use his good offices to save the members from attacks.
“We are, therefore, calling on Your Excellency to use your good offices to protect members of Unity Forum from attack by these faceless hawks,” they added.
