Osun by-election: PDP accuses APC of violence, hooliganism as party supporters clash

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State has accused the ruling APC of violence and act of hooliganism, as scores of APC supporters were allegedly attacked on Thursday at Ido-osun, in Egbedore Local Government Area of Osun State.
Hoodlums, alleged to be loyal to the ruling All Progressive Congress(APC) in the state were said to have laid ambush for supporters of PDP in the area, in which many sustained different degrees of machete cut and property destroyed.

The Chairman of PDP in the state, Mr Soji Adagunodo, who disclosed this in a press release made available to journalists in Osogbo known on Friday said the PDP candidate for the July 8 by-election, Otunba Ademola Adeleke has constantly been attacked since he started his campaign.
According to him, the attack at Ido-osun, was spearheaded by a group in the state, popularly called “state boy” and was the latest in the series of attacks the party has suffered in the last few weeks.
He accused one ‘De Law’ as the leader of the gang, saying several dangerous weapons were freely used in the attack, including guns, cutlasses, axes and others.

The PDP chairman alleged that, the ruling APC had mobilised hoodlums to lay ambush for his party members when both parties were campaigning in the area, while several officials of government, including the Executive Secretary of the council, and other government functionaries looked the other way.

“At the end of the one hour orgy of violence, the thugs numbering about a hundred who were transported in several vans in the entourage of Senator Mudashir Hussein, left 15 people with various degrees of injury ranging from gunshot and machete wounds.
“Three houses belonging to leaders of the PDP were damaged while the thugs seized and confiscated laptops, motorcycles, cash and other personal belongings of their victims.”

“It is regrettable that while the violence raged,scores of policemen who were at the scene of the crime watched helplessly, leaving the victims at the mercy of their tormentors.”
“The PDP in Osun state wishes to call on Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, the Inspector General of Police, the Director General of the State Security Service and the top echelon of the Security services to urgently order the immediate arrest and prosecution of the said thugs as well as their known sponsors.”
“We wish to warn that failure to act on this open display of intolerance and violent attack on innocent citizens will spell doom for the peace and stability of the state as our party members may be forced to defend themselves against such violent aggression.” Adagunodo said.