News Update
THE Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has called on the police and other security agencies to intensify surveillance of vehicles branded in the colours of the Accord Party and to declare Owode-Ede a political flashpoint following alleged incidents of violence in the community.
The party made the calls in two separate statements issued during the weekend by its Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, in response to allegations made by the Osun Accord Party and concerns over security in Owode-Ede, Ede North Local Government Area.
According to Olabisi, the APC rejected allegations by the Accord Party that it was rebranding some of its campaign vehicles in the rival party’s colours in order to carry out attacks and blame them on Governor Ademola Adeleke.
The APC said the allegations were made by the Osun Accord Party chairman, Pastor Victor Akande, who had claimed to possess information that the APC governorship campaign council was preparing vehicles in Accord Party colours to launch attacks across the state.
“We want to inform members of the public, the police and other security services that there is no iota of truth in the frivolous allegation that our party is embarking on any untoward means to disturb the peace of the state,” Olabisi said.
He maintained that the APC had no intention of engaging in violence and described the accusations as diversionary.
“We consider such a baseless allegation against our peaceful governorship candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji AMBO, as diversionary and one that should be discountenanced by members of the public and security services,” he added.
The party further urged the police to subject Accord Party-branded vehicles to stop-and-search operations, arguing that such measures would help security agencies identify those responsible for criminal activities and violent incidents.
In a separate statement, the APC appealed to the Osun State Police Command to declare Owode-Ede a political flashpoint, alleging that the community had become a centre of violent activities involving political thugs affiliated with the Accord Party.
Olabisi alleged that APC members and supporters travelling through Owode-Ede had been subjected to harassment, attacks and destruction of vehicles by individuals he described as political hoodlums operating in the area.
“Past and unfolding political events in Osun State have revealed that Owode-Ede community has grown rapidly to become the rendezvous of political thugs of the Accord Party extraction who molest members and supporters of the APC each time they pass through the axis,” he stated.
The APC spokesman further claimed that political groups in the area forcefully removed branded caps from APC supporters and attacked party members travelling through the community, adding that the incidents had created fear among residents and political supporters.
“It would be a dereliction of duty for the police and other statutory security services to leave innocent members of the public at the mercy of these political hoodlums who operate unhindered daily,” Olabisi said.
He recalled an alleged attack on the wife of a former governor of the state, Alhaja Kafayat Oyetola, before the 2022 governorship election and also raised concerns over the conduct of voting in parts of Owode-Ede during the same election.
The APC said the crisis that occurred earlier in the week and later spread to Osogbo allegedly originated from an incident at the Owode-Ede market junction, where it claimed party supporters were prevented from moving freely.
Olabisi urged security agencies to act proactively to prevent further escalation of tensions in the area, stressing that freedom of movement was a constitutional right and calling for measures to protect lives and property across the state.