The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has alleged that its members were attacked by suspected hoodlums working for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ikirun at the venue of the ongoing Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) exercise.
The leadership of the PDP in the state dismissed the APC’s allegations, saying the party was in the habit of perpetrating crimes and hiding behind police cover to escape justice.
In a statement by its spokesperson, Kola Olabisi, on Wednesday, APC condemned the attack and called on security agencies to investigate and make those involved face the consequences of their actions.
The opposition party alleged that the attack occurred at the Ifelodun Local Government office of the Independent National Electoral Commission, in Ikirun, where a man known as ‘One Million Gang’ and one Hassan assaulted APC Ward 1 councillor, Taiwo Kazeem, and another APC member, Oladimeji Olamilekan, with an axe.
According to the APC, it was the intervention of registrants at the INEC office that prevented the victims from being killed by the PDP hoodlums.
The APC stated, ‘We condemn the needless attacks on our members at the INEC office by PDP thugs who were suspiciously acting on orders.
‘We appeal to the state Commissioner of Police to, without further delay, arrest, investigate, and arraign the suspects to serve as a deterrent to other notorious political thugs across the state’.
In response, the PDP spokesperson, Oladele Bamiji, dismissed the allegation, warning that ‘the APC must desist from dragging the Nigeria Police Force into partisan politics’.
‘Turning the police into an appendage of their already sinking party is not only alien to the practice of constitutional democracy but also a dangerous trend capable of pushing the resilient and peace-loving people of Osun State to the wall’, Bamiji said.
The PDP alleged that the APC had a pattern of instigating crises, only to turn around and call on the police to victimise the victims of its aggression.
The party called on the state police command to rise above manipulation and safeguard its integrity, warning that any attempt to compromise the neutrality of the police in the ongoing CVR exercise may lead to anarchy.
‘We urge the police to maintain professionalism, protect all citizens without bias, and resist being used as a willing tool for political persecution. The people of Osun are watching. The world is watching. And history will not be kind to those who place partisan interest above the peace and stability of our dear state’, the ruling party stated.
