One Killed, Many Injured in Oyo PDP, APC Clash

By  Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan

Less than two weeks to the general election, political campaigns in Oyo State at the weekend turned bloody as the convoy of the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr.  Seyi Makinde, was attacked in Ojoo area of the city, leaving one person injured and a vehicle damaged, while the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) lost one of its supporters in Igboora, Ibarapaland on Saturday evening.

THISDAY gathered that armed thugs laid ambush for Makinde and his team who were returning from Oyo after their campaigns in the council areas in the town.

Also, the APC campaign was in Ibarapaland on Saturday around 5:30 p.m when it was reportedly attacked by gunmen, leaving an Okada mechanic in the area and supporter of the party lying in a pool of blood.

But speaking on the attack, the APC spokesman in the state, Dr. Abdul Azeez Olatunde, accused the opposition  PDP of attempting to kill its governorship candidate, Mr. Bayo Adelabu, who he claimed escaped from the attack by the whiskers.

He said, “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 to his direction to unleash attack on him.”

Olatunde added that it took the proactive efforts of the security men to hurriedly whisk Adelabu away to the nearest vehicle for protection.

Makinde however had earlier through the  Director of Media and Publicity of his campaign organisation, Prince Dotun Oyelade, called on the state Commissioner of Police and the Director of Department of State Services (DSS), to as a matter of urgency, summon an emergency meeting of leaders of all political parties on the current tense security situation in the state.,

He  said  the government, which should enforce peace and the Governor Ajimobi, who should be the Chief Security Officer in the state, have abandoned their roles and become partisan.

He said, “Security chiefs must take this 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.”

Makinde  cited the unprovoked attack on his entourage at Ojoo in Akinyele Local Government Area (LGA) three days ago and other  previous attacks on the 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.”