The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation (SSACO) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has raised concerns over an alleged plot by hoodlums suspected to be members of the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM) to attack supporters of its governorship candidate, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, and destroy his campaign billboards.
The allegation was contained in a statement released on Sunday by SSACO Director of Media and Publicity, Bisi Oladele, in Ibadan, the state capital.
The statement read, “Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation is alerting the public about plans that have been perfected by hoodlums used by APM governorship candidate Bimbo Adekanmbi and his master Governor Seyi Makinde to attack members of the Park Management System and others supporting the APC in Oyo.
“The planned attack is part of coordinated efforts to repress opposition and instil fear in APC supporters across the state. It follows a series of attacks which led to the death of an APC member in Ibadan in October, and dozens of others who have been injured in similar attacks in the last two months.
“This came as Senator Sharafadeen Alli’s campaign billboards are being vandalised and destroyed in some places by agents of the state government. The evil acts have been going on unchecked as Adekanmbi and Makinde continue to use the instrumentality of government to terrorise opposition members and candidates since the election campaign started.
“Based on credible intelligence, the SSACO hereby alerts the public of planned attacks by PMS hoodlums on NURTW members supporting the APC. The attack team is particularly targeting a popular member nicknamed Oyere and his followers.”
The organisation further alleged that the suspected hoodlums monitored APC supporters during Alli’s manifesto unveiling at Theophilus Ogunlesi Hall last Tuesday, where they reportedly identified and discussed the names of NURTW members, particularly those who recently defected to the APC.
It added that the situation escalated following a large turnout of more than 100 NURTW members at the weekly meeting chaired by Oyere at his office.
According to the statement, intelligence reports indicated that a meeting allegedly convened by a prominent member of Governor Makinde’s inner circle around 10pm on Friday resolved to launch coordinated attacks against NURTW members backing the APC.
It further claimed that the alleged plan included disrupting their weekly meetings to weaken the party’s support base ahead of the forthcoming general elections.
The campaign organisation also accused the state government of targeting billboard owners who rent advertising spaces to Alli, allegedly forcing some of them out of business.
It said, ‘The state government is also cracking down on billboard proprietors who rent out their billboards to Senator Alli, thereby sending them out of business. Rather than make Oyo State business-friendly, Governor Makinde and his minions are destroying businesses, just to prevent the APC from campaigning freely, among other allegations.”
SSACO called on the Oyo State Commissioner of Police and other security agencies to intervene and prevent the alleged attacks, stressing that the state should not experience violence under an administration that assumed office peacefully in 2019.
APM Reacts
Reacting, the APM, through a statement signed by its Director of Communication and Spokesperson of the Governorship Campaign Council, Yinka Oladoyinbo, dismissed the allegations.
The party maintained that Governor Seyi Makinde and its governorship candidate, Bimbo Adekanmbi, had consistently demonstrated their commitment to maintaining peace and stability in the state.
The statement read, “The APM in Oyo State wishes to note that the latest allegation by the APC and its campaign council is another attempt at distracting the people of the state from the real issue of governance that they have been challenged to prove that they are ready for.
“It further shows that the party and its candidate do not have what it takes to lead a pace-setting state like Oyo, hence the resolve to raise spurious allegations each time they are confronted with what they have in stock for the people.
“The APM, Governor Makinde and our governorship candidate, Bimbo Adekanmbi, have always demonstrated their commitment to peace and tranquillity in our dear state.
“This has been evident in the co-existence of people of various backgrounds since the inception of the present administration over seven years ago, and we will not allow power mongers that have nothing tangible to enhance the development of the state to erode the gains we have recorded.”
The APM urged the APC not to be apprehensive, insisting that residents of Oyo State remained firmly behind Makinde and Adekanmbi.
The party added that “the people are ready to speak with their votes at the next general elections.”
