2023: Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council condemns incessant attacks on loyalists in Osun

Following the incessant attacks on the leadership and members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State, the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council has condemned in strong terms the assassination attempts on loyalists of the party in the last few months.

The Presidential Campaign Council described as inhuman, diabolic and outrageous the extra-judicial killings and maiming of the members of the party since November last year after the immediate past Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola temporarily stepped aside.

This is even as the APC Senatorial Candidate for Osun West, Dr. Amidu Tadese alleged that the PDP candidate for Osun West Senatorial District, Lere Oyewumi coordinated the attack on him.

The Council called on President Muhammadu Buhari, Inspector General of Police and other heads of security agencies, to rescue its members and residents of the State from the sinister attacks being perpetrated by the political hoodlums being hired and sponsored by the members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the State.

Addressing a Press Conference on Wednesday at the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Office, Ogo-Oluwa, Osogbo, the Spokesperson of the Campaign Council in Osun, Engr. Remi Omowaye raised serious concerns over the rising cases of political attacks and assassination attempts being masterminded by the PDP hoodlums since the inception of the present administration in the State.

Omowaye who narrated his ordeals in the hands of the PDP thugs who attacked him and his followers recently in Ilesa, said the fresh assassination attempt on the Osun West Senatorial Candidate, Dr. Amidu Tadese, on Tuesday night, was a clear indication that PDP and its co-travellers populated with hoodlums and assassins were on the verge to eliminate members of the opposition and perceived enemies in the state before the general elections.

He described the palpable unrests that had pervaded the atmosphere in the nooks and crannies of the State as unfortunate saying it is regrettable that the virtues of peace and unity that Osun was known for had been sadly eroded by the PDP-led government in the State.

“A lot of our party members have been killed by the members of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). We have their names, we can make their names available, they are not less than 10 persons. This is a clear indication that PDP and its loyalists are walking their talks because we could recollect vividly that before the last governorship election in the State, some of the PDP State and National Assemblies candidates threatened to attack members of our party.

“We can recollect that the PDP House of Representatives candidate for Ijesa-South, Sanya Omirin and PDP Osun West Senatorial District Candidate, Lere Oyewumi had once vowed to use explosive device for election and as well attack our members, and I am sure, this is what is playing out now.

“On December 23, I went to Atakunmosa market in Ilesa for a purpose, and in a broad daylight, I was attacked, our vehicles were sprayed with bullets. Few days after, shortly after His Excellency, Adegboyega Oyetola who branched over at our campaign office in Ilesa to address our members left the venue, our campaign office was attacked. As it is now, our candidates and members have been equally attacked to the extent that they couldn’t even paste posters in their respective domains.

“Just yesterday (Tuesday), our Senatorial Candidate for Osun West, Dr. Amidu Tadese was attacked. Our candidates could not even campaign again and they kept asking: is this not Osun that we all know, where there was peace? We are peace loving party and we are calling on President Muhammadu Buhari and heads of security agencies to come to our aid.

“There is no doubt that PDP is a party of destruction. As you can see, since Oyetola stepped aside temporarily, the crisis of kidnap has been on the increase. Osun used to be the most peaceful state in Nigeria, but today, the reverse is the case. We don’t need further evidence, just yesterday (Tuesday) people were kidnapped in a broad daylight in Osogbo.

“So, we are using this medium to draw the attention of the entire world to what is happening in Osun. We are calling on President Muhammadu Buhari, Inspector General of Police, Director of Department of State Services, and heads of other security agencies to come to our rescue in Osun. What happened in July 16 governorship election was a clear case of manipulation and that is why they are trying to intimidate us and other citizens,” Omowaye said.

Intimating the media to the assassination attempt on his person on Tuesday, the APC Senatorial Candidate for Osun West, Dr. Amidu Tadese alleged that the PDP candidate for Osun West Senatorial District, Lere Oyewumi coordinated the attack on him.

According to him, his opponent, Oyewumi, led the fully armed political hoodlums on rampage aimed at assassinating him and attack his supporters who had already assembled for the rally in Ikire on Tuesday.

He confirmed that the incident occurred around 5:30pm when the hoodlums started throwing bottles and hurling stones at his supporters and shooting sporadically to disperse them at the venue of the Ward rally.

He narrated that the hoodlums who were more than 30 in number ransacked the entire community, vandalised his vehicles and looted personal belongings of the residents in the areas.

“We started our campaign on Monday at Wasinmi in Ward 10, Irewole Local Government Area after which we moved to Ward 11 and later Ward 9. It was when we got to Ward 9 yesterday after our supporters had already assembled that the PDP thugs led by its Senatorial Candidate came to attack us.

“They were more than 30 in number, they starting hurling stones and bottles at us and later shooting from a filling station in Naira and Kobo area. The filling Station is owned by Lere Oyewumi. They attacked our members and destroyed properties including our vehicles and commercial mini-buses and tricycles passing by at that material time.

“A lot of properties were destroyed. I saw Oyewumi himself leading the hoodlums. When they destabilized the whole thing and people scampered for safety, they retreated to Oyewumi’s filling station. I managed to escape the assassination attempt because I knew I was their target. They were shouting ‘where is he’, but I thank God that I manoeuvred my way to escape.

“Though, we had the police permit to hold the meeting and I see no reason such could have happened. But we thank God for His protection and safety. After i managed to leave the venue, I saw Lere Oyewumi and his thugs at the front of his filling station and they started chasing me, they chased me to Gbongan junction, but God saved my life”, he added.

The Press Conference had in attendance, the Spokesperson for the immediate past Governor, Ismail Omipidan; former Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Funke Egbemode; APC Spokesman, Kola Olabisi; Former Special Adviser to the immediate past Governor on Education, Jamiu Olawumi, among others.