The Southwest Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the comment of former governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose, on the Oyo State abduction as reckless, insensitive and politically dangerous.
Fayose had alleged that the recent bandits’ attack in Oriire Local Council of Oyo State may have been orchestrated by Governor Seyi Makinde to blackmail President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during a television programme.
In a statement by its Southwest Zonal Publicity Secretary, Chief Sanya Atofarati, PDP said such a statement exposed Fayose’s glaring double standards on insecurity.
He said: ‘Fayose’s hypocrisy becomes even more evident when viewed against developments in his home state of Ekiti, where armed men recently attacked a church in Eda-Oniyo, Ilejemeje Local Council, killing a visiting pastor and abducting several worshippers who remain in captivity.
‘Eda-Oniyo is barely 30 minutes away from Afao-Ekiti, Fayose’s hometown. Yet, he neither accused Governor Biodun Oyebanji of negligence nor demanded answers from the state government regarding the deteriorating security situation, while innocent citizens remained in captivity.
‘Most disturbing was his recent appearance in Ilawe-Ekiti, within Ekiti Southwest Local Council, where he openly met and fraternised with APC members and political leaders in furtherance of his campaign for the APC governor. At no point during his visit did he demonstrate empathy for the victims of the Eda-Oniyo attack or use his platform to demand urgent action from the government.
‘This selective outrage exposes the insincerity behind his comments on the Oyo incident and confirms that his criticisms are driven not by concern for victims of insecurity, but by partisan calculations’.
Similarly, Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, representing Oyo Central, has urged political actors to desist from politicising Nigeria’s security challenges, insisting that allegations against Makinde must be backed by verifiable evidence rather than speculation or social media narratives.
The senator, a member of the APC, made the remarks while speaking on recent insecurity incidents in parts of the South-West, including the abduction of schoolchildren in Oyo State, which he described as ‘deeply tragic and emotionally devastating” for affected families and communities.
He spoke while addressing newsmen at the Senate.
Responding to public commentary, including claims attributed to Fayose, Buhari cautioned against what he called ‘reckless attribution of blame’ without investigative proof, warning that such narratives risk undermining ongoing security operations.
‘If you make an allegation, you must provide evidence. We cannot politicise the lives of children who were abducted and families who are still in pain’, he said.
The senator, who represents a constituency directly impacted by the security crisis, recounted the scale of the attack, describing it as one of the most harrowing he had witnessed.
He detailed reports of killings during the incident, including a teacher allegedly beheaded and another shot while attempting to escape, as well as civilians caught in crossfire during the chaos.
He also noted that entire communities were temporarily deserted in the aftermath, forcing security agencies to deploy military and police reinforcements, alongside aerial surveillance operations, to restore order and confidence in the affected areas.
Buhari said the complexity of the situation required careful, intelligence-driven responses rather than public speculation or politically motivated commentary.
