The Osun State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has revealed plans by political thugs loyal to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to unleash violence before, during and after the presidential rally of the party scheduled for Thursday, 2 February, 2023.
To avert the situation, the party has sent a stern warning to the political hoodlums that have been perpetrating series of attacks on the people of the state, particularly members of the APC, to desist from the heinous acts in the interest of peace and tranquility.
Also, the APC called on the security agencies to clamp down on those that have been causing mayhem across the nooks and crannies of the state since the emergence of the PDP- led government in the state.
This is even as the party unveiled the names of the perceived hoodlums and political thugs that have been fomenting crises in the state with the backing of the incumbent Governor, Ademola Adeleke.
They are: Olalekan Ajagungbade aka ‘Emir’ (Osogbo LGA); Sikiru Oyeniyi aka ‘Ado Igbonna’ (Olorunda LGA); Solomon Adefioye Adedimeji aka ‘Solo Iwara’ (Atakumosa); Wakeel Nurudeen aka ‘Alowonle’ (Osogbo LGA); Bode Olakayode aka ‘Bode Itaapa’ (Atakumosa); Ibukun Fadipe aka ‘IBK’ (Ilesa); Ibrahim Gbadamosi aka ‘Gbedu’ (Boripe LGA); Sanya Omirin (Ilesa); and Akogun Lere Oyewumi (Irewole LGA). Others are Clement Akanni aka ‘Olorunwa’ (Ila LGA); Wakeel Dokky (Ede); Yemi Aleba (Ede); Kareem Oladeji Aflao (Ede); Taye Trouble (Ede); Baba Ibeji Thunder (Ede); Sekere Olota (Ede) and Oriade OPC (Ede).
Addressing a press conference at the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Office, Tuesday, 31 January, 2023, the APC chairman in the State, Sooko Tajudeen Lawal, said the party has reliably gathered intelligence as regards the clandestine moves of the PDP leaders to disrupt the APC Presidential Campaign rally slated to hold in Osogbo on Thursday.
Lawal revealed that parts of the PDP’s unholy plans to frustrate and truncate the rally is to kit its political hoodlums with branded APC uniforms and face caps with a view to giving false identities to the PDP-sponsored political thugs.
According to him, embattled Governor Adeleke had instructed his Chief Security Officer (CSO), CSP Omoyele Adekunle, to import fake security operatives who would be in hoods while perpetrating violence across the State.
“We are privy to an intelligence that the Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in connivance with the embattled state Governor Ademola Adeleke, have concluded a plan to disrupt the All Progressives Congress (APC) rally of our presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, coming up on Thursday, February 2, 2023, at Freedom Park, Osogbo.
“We also observed that embattled Governor Adeleke’s security guards are always hooded and we have credible evidence that the majority of the hooded security guards are political hoodlums that the governor is using for extra-judicial killings and attacks of the opposition members across the state.
“We also discovered through our painstaking efforts that the controversial Chief Security Officer (CSO) to the governor, one Chief Superintendent of Police Omoyele Adekunle (the leader of the Killer Squad) has been the one giving instructions and protection to the hooded political thugs.
“Our discovery also revealed that the Osun State chapter of the PDP has provided police and the Nigerian Army uniforms to be given to their numerous thugs on Thursday during our presidential rally.
“It was also learnt that the PDP is planning to kit the political hoodlums with branded APC uniforms and face caps with a view to giving the false identities to the PDP-sponsored political thugs.
“According to our reliable source, part of the booby traps orchestrated by the PDP/Adeleke to truncate the Tinubu/Shettima presidential rally on Thursday is to prevent commercial vehicles and motorcycles from working by the use of political thugs to be led by Ado ‘Igbona’ and ‘Emir’ in Osogbo metropolis.
“We also have an uncontroverted information that embattled Governor Adeleke and his co-travellers in the PDP have recruited 3, 000 women at the rate of N2, 000 each to embark on a ferocious protest beginning from tomorrow (Wednesday) through Thursday. The starting point of the women protest is Gbongan-Ibadan road and to be moved to Osogbo later on Thursday.
“It was also gathered that Adeleke and the PDP have mapped out another plan to use political hoodlums to be waylaying our members and supporters who might be coming to Osogbo for the presidential rally from the various towns and villages on Thursday.
“It was also reliably gathered that all the efforts by the police to bring the said controversial CSP Omoyele to justice over some murder cases sometime ago have proved abortive.
“We also noted that the leaders of the PDP/Adeleke killer squad who had been declared wanted by the police over murder are hibernating in the Ede country home of the embattled Governor Adeleke.
“While we are imploring the members of our party and our numerous supporters to troop out to be active participants in the rally of our presidential candidate on Thursday, we are pleading with our members and supporters to maintain decorum even when confronted with avoidable provocation from the agents of disruptions.
“We are also appealing to the state police command and other statutory sister security agencies in the state not to take the issue of security with levity in the state at all times before, during and after our Thursday’s President rally.
“Immediate and concerted proactive approach should be given to the arrest, investigation and prosecution of some of the PDP political thugs who have records of political violence in the state”, he said.
In his brief remarks, the spokesperson of Osun APC Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, Engr. Remi Omowaye, said the members of the party would continue to maintain peace and remain orderly regardless of internal or external intimidations from any quarters.
Omowaye who lamented the serial attacks on members of the APC in the last few months said the time has come for the security operatives to unravel the ugly incident and bring perpetrators to book.
