PDP candidate escapes assassination in Ondo

Barely four days to the House of Assembly and House of Representatives supplementary elections in Ondo State, the leading opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has raised the alarm over incessant attacks on its members by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Chairman of the party in the state Clement Faboyede, said one of the Assembly’s candidates of the party in Idanre,Festus Akingbesote narrowly escaped death Tuesday when hoodlums suspected to be APC supporters attacked him when he went to an undisclosed hospital to check some members of the party admitted after previous attacks.

He lamented that the state government led by Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and APC had resorted to attacks on the opposition.

Besides, he alleged that Ekiti and Osun states governors, Dr Kayode Fayemi and Gboyega Oyetola, were meddling in the state politics, which prompted violence prompting all manners of violence ahead of the Saturday polls.

Faboyede recalled that some PDP members were attacked by APC thugs in Idanre Local Government Area while two casualties are currently receiving treatment in one of the hospitals in the community.

He said; “We want to intimate the whole world of what is happening in Ondo State now. We are crying for Save Our Soul in the state. Ondo State PDP and the generality of Ondo State inhabitants, have witnessed a lot of violence.

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“It is an open secret that the APC government, APC party and members have resorted to violence, intimidation and harassment of PDP members across the length and breadth of the state.

“Everybody is moving around with fear and anxiety. The state that has hitherto been peaceful, that was rated as one of the most peaceful states in the country, the people are panicky of being attacked.”

“On Monday, it took the combined team of soldiers and mobile policemen to dislodge APC thugs in Idanre, the hometown of APC state Chairman of the state. For four hours, they laid siege in the town with cutlasses and guns in Idanre community.

“And Tuesday, attacks were on and about two of our people are in the hospital now. This call for concern as this has been the scenario: the community has been declared a war zone as APC thugs are harassing and intimidating the people.

“They know they can’t win that election, especially that of Idanre, so they want to cause mayhem in that place. We want to say election is not war; election should be very peaceful and people should be allowed to whosoever they want.”

“We are calling on our good people in Nigeria to please appeal to our governor and APC to that people of Ondo State can live in peace and exercise their franchise so that they can vote whoever they want to vote for.”

Faboyede, who lauded security agencies for their impartiality and professionalism in the last election, urged them to be proactive and neutral in their dealings with the parties. He appealed to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be neutral too.

He urged President Muhammadu Buhari and other Nigerians to prevail on the leadership of the ruling party in the state, stressing that that they should guarantee the peace and security of its members ahead of the poll.

APC spokesman, Alexandra’s Kalejaye could not be reached for comments on the development.