The Campaign Organisation of the gubernatorial candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Oyo State Chapter, Senator Olufemi Lanlehin has condemned the mayhem unleashed on the people of Igbo-Ora in Ibarapa zone of the state by All Progressives Congress (APC) during the APC governorship and Oyo south senatorial campaign rally.
In a press release made available to journalists in Ibadan on Sunday, the Director of Public Communication, New Media and Tertiary Institution for Handshake Campaign Organisation, Engineer Akeem Olatunji has called on Commissioner of Police, Director of Department of State Security (DSS) and other security agencies to beef up the security and call the APC into order.
It was gathered that during the fracas that ensued between two factions within the APC, five people were reportedly lost their lives in Igbo-Ora while several other people got injured.
It was also gathered that on their way coming back to Ibadan, another person was also got killed through a stray bullet in Omi-Adio area of Ibadan suburb.
According to Olatunji, “it is frightening and disheartening that it is the party in government that is unleashing terror on people that it supposed to protect.
“One of the major responsibility of State is to protect its citizens but it was saddened that same government is the one terrorising and killing its citizens. This Eruwa fracas was like fifth one recorded by APC either by attacking opposition parties or faction within the party like the one witnessed in Igbo-Ora and Omi-Adio.
“We want to use this medium to appeal to Commissioner of Police, Director of DSS and other security agencies to beef up security around citizens of the state and opposition parties because with all these attacks everywhere, we are not feeling save and comfortable anymore”.
The Handshake Campaign Organisation Director of Public Communication and New Media maintained that, no intimidation from the ruling APC in the state would change the mind of the electorates by voting them out in this coming elections.
Olatunji explained that in less than seven weeks to governorship election and less than four months to the expiration of present administration in the state, Governor Ajimobi went ahead to award road contracts which is over 11 billion Naira in Ibarapa, which his government has neglected in the past seven and half years.
According to him, “It baffles me or how do we explain this scenario, there are lots of road construction projects going on in the state in the last seven years which it is very clear that this government cannot complete before the expiration of its tenure.
“Also the state government still owing all the state tertiary institutions’ workers about 18 months salary arrears without any concrete agreement or arrangement on how to pay them
“Despite these, Governor Ajimobi knowing fully that his party would loss in the February 16 Presidential election and March 2 gubernatorial election went ahead to award another road construction, which was another plot to siphon state money and diverted it to already lost election.
“It is evident that people of state have rejected APC in the state which could be seen the way people walked out of Governor Ajimobi at Liberty stadium during campaign rally of South West Women wing of the party penultimate week in the presence of the wife of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Dolapo Osinbajo.
“In order to get substantial amount of money to woo electorates during the elections, the governor in haste went ahead to award road projects in Ibarapa and Apata area in Ibadan, the state capital”.
Olatunji said these roads Apata/Benbow/Elere/Kuola likewise the ones in Ibarapa have been in bad conditions in the last seven and half years of this administration, queried that, why now the government will expire in few months.
“The Institutions, roads and other infrastructure in Ibarapa and other parts of the state have been neglected by Governor Ajimobi from the inception of his administration. We want people to ask the Governor the rationale behind the award of those construction at the tale end of his administration.
“This is would add to another incomplete projects because we are quite sure the funds meant for the projects would be diverted to fund the already lost election.
“The Handshake Campaign Organisation want to assure people of Ibarapa and the state as a whole that if Senator Lanlehin of ADC is voted into power all the dividends of democracy that have eluded them in this present administration would be given back to them. As a covenant with the good people of Oyo State, Senator Olufemi Lanlehin will immediately on becoming the Governor of the state under the platform of ADC pay more attention to the plight of people by boosting agricultural sector and construction of rural roads as APC-led government had failed in all facets of governance.
“We are urging the electorates to vote for Senator Olufemi Lanlehin for governor, Senator Rilwan Adesoji for Oyo South senatorial district, Senator Monsurat Sumonu for Oyo Central senatorial district, Barrister Bayo Lawal for Oyo North senatorial district and all other ADC candidates in the forthcoming general elections in February 16th and March 2nd 2019 to show Governor Ajimobi and other APC candidates that ultimate power lies with the electorates to decide who govern the state”, Olatunji concluded.
