TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
The People’s Democratic Party and All Progressives Congress in Osun State have been enmeshed in blame game over reported killing of seven members of the two political parties in Ijesaland.
While APC claimed that five of its members were murdered by a notorious political thug loyal to Sanya Omirin, PDP candidate for Ijesa-South Federal Constituency, in this Saturday’s election, the PDP alleged that two of its members from Ilesa West area were shot dead by thugs said to be loyal to the APC.
The Acting State Chairman of the APC, Tajudeen Lawal, described the killings as wicked, callous and inhuman, and identified one Ibrahim Adeniyi (a.k.a. ‘Omo Alhaja’), as one of the prominent members of the opposition party who were slain on Tuesday.
He said the daredevil thug, Bode Kayode (a.k.a. ‘Bode Itapa’), shot Adebiyi at a close range at Ward 5 in Eti-Oni in the Atakumosa-East Local Government Council Area of the state while ‘Bode Itapa’ was in the midst of the PDP members and thugs who embarked on house-to-house campaign in the town.
Lawal further explained that the PDP members were forcefully pasting the posters of Omirin and other PDP candidates on the walls of the houses of the APC members in the community while the PDP thugs were attacking and chasing the APC members out of their houses during the campaign exercise.
Lawal charged the state police command to investigate the incidents with a view to arresting and prosecuting whoever may be directly or remotely connected to the wicked acts.
“We shall see how honest and genuine Governor Adeleke is with his order of arrest of political thugs now that it was the thugs loyal to his party that have needlessly killed other members of our party which is the third of its types within two weeks,” he said.
Reacting to the alleged killing of two PDP members from Ilesa West Local Government Area of Osun, the Director General of Atiku/Okowa Campaign Organisation in the state, Sunday Bisi, said it was “a condemnable act of political terrorism on our innocent party members.”
“We lost two of our members in this unprovoked attacks. The third victim is between life and death. We call on the security agencies to intervene urgently. The APC and its leaders are prime suspects. We call on the police to arrest APC thugs and their sponsors. This is one attack too many,” Bisi stated.
He identified those killed by the suspected thugs of the APC as Rafiu quadri Abiodun of Ilosi, Elijah Baba Ewe from Ayinrin while Gbenga Femi from Olorunsogo was said to be in a state of coma.
The hooded gunmen reportedly attacked a group of PDP supporters soon after the state governor, Ademola Adeleke concluded his campaign of Ilesa West on Tuesday.
The gunmen allegedly shot sporadically into the midst of jubilant PDP supporters as target. Many also sustained gunshot injuries and were said to have been rushed to various hospitals for treatment.
These incidents have caused tension in Ilesa and its environs, three days to the elections.
