The Osun West Senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) Dr. Amidu Tadese has been reportedly attacked by some hoodlums suspected to be members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ikire, Irewole Local Goverment area of the state.
It was gathered that the attack left a number of the supporters and members of APC injured at Ward 9, in Ikire, on Tuesday.
A source who spoke on condition of anonymity said the thugs, closed to 30 in number were allegedly led by the opposition candidate during their rally in the area.
He further said that the political hoodlums attacked them with cutlasses and guns and destroyed their vehicles.
According to him, “We are in ward 9 in Ikire where we were holding our political rally until the PDP Senatorial Candidate, Lere Oyewumi led some thugs close to thirty in number brandishing cutlasses and shooting sporadically into the air to disperse the loyalists of the APC who had already assembled for the Ward meeting.
“This incident took the entire communication into uncertainty as residents were panicking to the extent that they had to scamper for safety. Many of the vehicles brought to the venue of the meeting by the APC Senatorial Candidate, Dr. Amidu Tadese were damaged.
“As I speak, there is palpable commotion in entire community. Many of the APC loyalists were seriously injured during the attack and two of our people who sustained gunshot wounds have been hospitalized.
“The ugly incident left many with various degrees of injury as some of the victims were macheted with cutlass in the neck, hands and other parts of their bodies. I am sure they must have been in the hospital by now.
“Some of us escaped from the attack and I am sure that they attacked us because they were intimidated with the crowd that came out for the meeting and rally that we held. I think, their intention was to kill Dr. Amidu Tadese because I heard them shouting where is he during the attack”, the source added.
Confirming the incident, the APC Osun West Senatorial Candidate, Dr. Amidu Tadese, said the attack occurred around 5:30pm.
According to him, the hoodlums who were more than 30 in number ransacked the entire community after they destabilized the meeting and attacked members of the APC.
“Our supporters had already erected canopy and assembled at Ward 10, Ikire before the incident occured. We were about starting the meeting when we saw the hoodlums shooting sporadically shortly after someone offered the opening prayers at the meeting.
“They were more than 30 in number led by Akogun Lere Oyewumi, the PDP Osun West Senatorial Candidate. They were shooting from Naira and Kobo area and before we know it, they were already at the venue attacking people and destroying property 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.
“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”, he added.
