There are strong indications that the 2023 general elections in Osun state would be characterized by an orgy of violence as members of the two key political parties, the All Progressive Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), including security personnel attached to political officers in the state have started shooting and mercilessly attacking themselves with guns, cutlasses, clubs, knives broken bottles, charms and other dangerous weapons in Osun East Senatorial district of the state.

PDP members claimed that some armed political thugs from the APC camp attacked the homes of the father of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the Ilesa East/Ilesa West/ Atakunmosa-East/Atakunmosa-West Federal Constituency, Honourable Olusanya Omirin and the home of the father of the immediate past PDP Chairman of the State, Honourable Sunday Bisi in Ilesha East local government area of the state on Friday evening.

The attackers who were said to have rained live bullets on the building of their victims were said to have shot and injured scores of people in the shooting activities which lasted an hour in the area where the attacks took place.

Omirin's father, an octogenarian, is said to have escaped by whiskers while the father of Bisi is also said to have been smuggled out of the house to avoid being killed by the attackers.

The situation was however said to have thrown people living in the vicinity into a panic condition as few of them were said to have vacated their residences to avoid being killed or injured in the violent attacks.

Also, a PDP member who identified himself as Kolawole revealed that two members of the party had been killed in Ilesha by the APC members and charged to concerned to arrest the perpetrators of the dastardly act.

But, the APC debunked the claims saying, the PDP were the attackers who always unleash terror on its members saying, one of its members had been killed by the PDP thugs.

The party acting Chairman, Sooko Tajudeen Lawal who made this known said, "I sympathise with the leaders and members of our party in Ilesa over the killing of one of them during the onslaught on the members of our party yesterday in Ilesa.

“The police should do their work and get to the root of the killing of our members by the PDP hoodlums.

“I am imploring our members to refuse the temptation to size up with the PDP combatants whose only idea of winning the election is shedding of human blood,” Lawal enjoined.

However, a statement signed by the PDP Acting Chairman in Osun State, Dr Akindele Adekunle, affirmed that the inhuman acts were performed by the APC members.

According to the statement, ”hoodlums in the service of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Friday descended on the homes of the father of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the Ilesa East/Ilesa West/ Atakunmosa-East/Atakunmosa-West Federal Constituency, Honourable Olusanya Omirin, in Ilesa East local government, causing major scare for the octonogorian who had to rush for safety as live bullets rain down on the building.

“Similar despicable attack was visited on the home of the father of the immediate PDP Chairman of the State, Honourable Sunday Bisi, which threw residents, especially the PDP chief old man in palpable fear.

“The attacks are a continuation of the APC’s pattern of violence to intimidate members and supporters of the PDP from active participation in the upcoming elections.

“The rejected APC having realized the resolve of the people to vote against it has taken to violence and attacking our party members and innocent citizens to scare them away from the election,” the statement noted.

He added that “just today, the homes of the fathers of Honourables Olusanya Omirin and Sunday Bisi came under fierce attacks by APC thugs, with live bullets viciously unleashed at them. Posters and billboards for PDP candidates in Ilesa East were violently removed and our members were targeted for vicious attacks.

“Our immediate question as a party is what exactly is the sin of the old men that they were the target of APC attacks or is it just because they are the fathers of the two PDP chiefs?” This is pure evil and it is our passionate call on every lover of democracy to come to the aid of our party members in Ijeshaland, and by extension, the whole of Osun state, in the face of APC resort to violence," he said.

The PDP called on security agencies in the state to come to the rescue of PDP members and supporters, warning that it could not continue to guarantee the patience of members and supporters to the unceasing attacks of the APC.

“We are committed to a peaceful election, but will however warn that the PDP will not be intimidated by this attempt by APC to discourage our participation in the elections. We charge our members not to be provoked by the APC, and instead, continue to be focused on the drive to vote all PDP candidates in the general elections,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, Sooko Lawal, the APC acting Chairman insisted that “a member of the party at Ward Nine, Irojo, Ilesa East Local Government Council Area of the state, Ebenezer Alaro was attacked by perpetrators said to be operating on the directive of Sanya Omirin, the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) House of Representatives candidate for Ijesa-South Federal Constituency.”

Speaking through the party spokesperson, Chief Adekola Olabisi via a statement in Osogbo, he stated that,” it was learnt that Alaro, who was the driver of the Cabsta vehicle used by the APC candidates for the party’s resumed ward-by-ward rally in the constituency yesterday, was chased to the front of his father’s house where he was shot around 1:00 p.m. by hoodlums led by ‘Bongo,’ a notorious thug in the community.

“It was gathered that Omirin was earlier sighted at Irojo Junction of the ancient town in the midst of masked men in police uniform who went on rampage alongside the PDP thugs, an incident which subsequently led to the killing of the APC member.

“Sources close to the scene of the crisis disclosed that the police later came to remove the corpse of the slain APC member to the Wesley Guild Hospital morgue.

“Information also has it that the shop belonging to the APC Women Leader in Ward 9, Irojo, Ilesa East Local Government Council Area, popularly known as ‘Iya Ruka’, was earlier destroyed by the rampaging PDP thugs.

“It was also observed that all the billboards, from Osunjela to Ilesa, of the presidential candidate of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and other APC candidates, were also destroyed by the rampaging thugs.

“A source who craved anonymity for fear of being attacked disclosed that for the past few days, the PDP hoodlums had embarked on massive destruction of APC posters and billboards and then turned around to fabricate lies to cast APC members in a bad light,” tye statement added.

Commenting on the development, the Acting Chairman, said the killing of the APC member by the PDP janjaweed was callous, wicked and inhuman.

Lawal stated that the life of a fellow human being means nothing to the leadership of the PDP in Osun State as there could not be any rationalisation for Dr Akindele Adekunle, the propagandist PDP chairman, to have rushed to the press, distorting the fact of the killing of the APC member.

The Acting APC State Chairman hinted that it was a pity that the PDP leadership in the state reasoned that violence could secure victory for their party in the forthcoming general elections.

Lawal charged the police to get to the root of the killing of one of his party men by the PDP.

The state APC acting chairman warned the PDP handlers to stop the injection of violence into the body polity telling the PDP that such ungodly conduct would earn them no good in the long run.

“I sympathise with the leaders and members of our party in Ilesa over the killing of one of them during the onslaught on the members of our party yesterday.

“The police should do their work and get to the root of the killing of our members by the PDP hoodlums.

“I am imploring our members to refuse the temptation to size up with the PDP combatants whose only idea of winning the election is shedding of human blood,” Lawal enjoined.

While reacting to the crisis, the state police command spokesperson, Mrs Yemisi Opalola confirmed that it was true that, a report of a dead person killed in Ilesha was reported to the command and that, investigations were ongoing on the matter. (Nigerian Tribune)

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