BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has accused the state governor, Ademola Adeleke of shielding some suspected thugs of the ruling People’s Democratic Party and obstructing the police from arresting them.
This allegation came on the heels of the governor’s claim that a chieftain of APC in the state, Ajibola Bashiru, imported some unauthorized policemen into the state to create confusion, mayhem and destabilise the peace and stability of the state.
A statement by Adeleke’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed had alleged the immediate-past spokesperson of the Senate of using the imported policemen to round up some chieftains of PDP and therefore called on the Inspector-General of Police to withdraw the policemen.
Reacting, the Acting Chairman of Osun APC, Tajudeen Lawal, in a statement issued by the party’s Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, in Osogbo on Tuesday, asked Adeleke to stop denigrating the institution of the police, alleging that the governor has something to hide, hence his alarm.
According to Lawal, “Why must Adeleke and his co-travellers be afraid of the shadow of a policeman if not that they have something to hide which makes them to be suspected fugitive to justice?
“Is Governor Adeleke in his wisdom saying that the police should not do their jobs whenever there is need for them to do so?
“What manner of peace is reigning in the state if not the peace of a graveyard after the blood of so many members of our party had been needlessly shed by the PDP goons in order for the PDP candidates to have undeserved victory at the polls?
“We are in support of the long arm of the law to deal decisively with whoever has run foul of the law of the land with impunity as was witnessed before the series of the elections in the state when no fewer than 30 members and supporters of our party were slaughtered like rams by the hired political hoodlums loyal to Adeleke and the PDP.
“It is no longer news in the state that some of the daredevil dangerous political thugs with which Adeleke and his co-travellers rigged the elections for all the PDP candidates are taking refuge in the Ede country home of Adeleke where they have become untouchable and living as if they are above the laws of the land.
“The gruesome massacre of some of the APC members by the militia arm of the Osun State PDP like Adetunji Adeyeye from Ward 10 in Atakumosa-East Local Government Council Area of the state; Oladele Moses a.k.a. ‘Alase’ from Ward 09 of Atakumosa-East; Oluwole Ade from Ward 09 of the same council; Omidokun Elijah of Ward 10 in Atakumosa-East and Ebenezer Alaro from Ward 09 in Ilesa-East Local Government are still fresh in the memory of the bereaved.
“Others who were fell by the bullets of the PDP thugs in order to rig the elections for the PDP candidates are Ibrahim Taiwo Adebiyi a.k.a. ‘Omo Alhaja’ from Ward 05, Etiooni who was shot in the neck; Adex from Ward 09 in Ilesa-East; three commercial motorcycle riders were shot dead at Iwara Junction in Ilesa; Niyi Olajide from Ward 02, Atakumosa-East; Tope Samuel; Onigbogi Gbenga; Okunlola Job and many others.
“It is on record that some principal members of the PDP in Osun State like the House of Representatives member representing Ijesa-South Federal Constituency, Hon Sanya Omirin; Hon Clement Olohunwa, the House of Representatives member representing Ila Federal Constituency; Senator Oyewumi Kamourudeen representing Osun-West Senatorial District; one Spain from Ikirun and the House of Assembly member from Iwo state constituency, all threatened to use violence to win the elections which they actually did.
“The incident of the invasion and subsequent destruction of the APC Secretariats in both Ede-North and Ede-South local government council areas of the state by the PDP hoodlums will remain evergreen in the memories of our members.
“Is Governor Adeleke saying that some of his identified thugs he used to kill our members should not be made to answer for their crimes? If we can’t remember the names of all the thugs that Adeleke and his co-travellers used to rig the elections, the identities of the following are still fresh in the subconscious of our members:
“Bode Itaapa, Solomon Adefioye Adedimeji, Solo Iwara, Emir Olalekan Ajagungbade, Carlos, Yinka Fasetire a.k.a. ‘Kenge’, Oladele Felix, Olumide Fisayo, Taiwo Amure Kekere, Kehinde Amure Kekere, Taiwo Amure Agba, Kehinde Amure Agba, Sunday Bugarly, Ojo Jagaban, Eruku, Opeyemi Olalemi, Saka Igboya, Saheed Orimade, Ado Igbona and Adewale Babawale.
“When has it become a practice for a governor to dictate to the police how to do their work when the police is not an arm under the executive? Adeleke and his co-travellers should shed their toga of executive rascality and brazen lawlessness and promptly allow the law to take its cause if they don’t have any skeletons in their cupboards,” Tajudeen noted.