The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation of the All Progressives Congress in Oyo State, on Sunday, raised the alarm over alleged hoodlums suspected to be members of the Allied Peoples’ Movement planning a fresh attack on supporters of its governorship candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, and also vandalising his billboards.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the Director of Media and Publicity of SSACO, Bisi Oladele, in Ibadan, the state capital.
The statement read, “Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation is alerting the public about plans that have been perfected by hoodlums used by APM governorship candidate Bimbo Adekanmbi and his master Governor Seyi Makinde to attack members of the Park Management System and others supporting the APC in Oyo.
“The planned attack is part of coordinated efforts to repress opposition and instil fear in APC supporters across the state. It follows a series of attacks which led to the death of an APC member in Ibadan in October, and dozens of others who have been injured in similar attacks in the last two months.
“This came as Senator Sharafadeen Alli’s campaign billboards are being vandalised and destroyed in some places by agents of the state government. The evil acts have been going on unchecked as Adekanmbi and Makinde continue to use the instrumentality of government to terrorise opposition members and candidates since the election campaign started.
“Based on credible intelligence, the SSACO hereby alerts the public of planned attacks by PMS hoodlums on NURTW members supporting the APC. The attack team is particularly targeting a popular member nicknamed Oyere and his followers.”
It stated further that the “PMS hoodlums reportedly spied on the APC members at Senator Alli’s manifesto unveiling event held at Theophilus Ogunlesi Hall last Tuesday, where names of NURTW members, especially those who just joined the APC, were listed and discussed.
“The development was further inflamed by the large attendance at the weekly NURTW meeting chaired by Oyere at his office, which had over hundreds of NURTW members in attendance.
“At a meeting directed to be convened by a key member of Governor Makinde’s kitchen cabinet, which held around 10 pm on Friday, credible intelligence indicated that it was agreed that coordinated attacks be unleashed on NURTW members supporting APC, with a particular agreement to disrupt their weekly meetings to whittle down APC support base ahead of the general elections.
‘The state government is also cracking down on billboard proprietors who rent out their billboards to Senator Alli, thereby sending them out of business. Rather than make Oyo State business-friendly, Governor Makinde and his minions are destroying businesses, just to prevent the APC from campaigning freely, among other allegations.”
The SSACO, therefore, called on the state Commissioner of Police and other security chiefs to nip the plan in the bud, as Oyo does not deserve violence from a government that took over in a peaceful atmosphere in 2019.
In its reaction, the APM, through a statement issued by the Director of Communication/Spokesperson, Governorship Campaign Council, Yinka Oladoyinbo, said Makinde and his governorship candidate, Bimbo Adekanmbi, have always demonstrated their commitment to peace and tranquillity in the state.
The statement read, “The APM in Oyo State wishes to note that the latest allegation by the APC and its campaign council is another attempt at distracting the people of the state from the real issue of governance that they have been challenged to prove that they are ready for.
“It further shows that the party and its candidate do not have what it takes to lead a pace-setting state like Oyo, hence the resolve to raise spurious allegations each time they are confronted with what they have in stock for the people.
“The APM, Governor Makinde and our governorship candidate, Bimbo Adekanmbi, have always demonstrated their commitment to peace and tranquillity in our dear state.
“This has been evident in the co-existence of people of various backgrounds since the inception of the present administration over seven years ago, and we will not allow power mongers that have nothing tangible to enhance the development of the state to erode the gains we have recorded.”
The APM, therefore, assured the APC that it has nothing to fear or be jittery about as the people of Oyo are solidly behind Makinde and Adekanmbi, saying “the people are ready to speak with their votes at the next general elections.”
