Supporters of the Allied People’s Movement (APM) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), engaged themselves in a violent clash that left no fewer than 10 people injured.
The clash which started from Elega junction spread to Mokola, Ago-Ika and Sokori areas of Abeokuta, the state capital.
Trouble started when the campaign train of the APC governorship candidate, Prince Dapo Abiodun ran into the convoy of a House of Representatives candidate and a current member of the lower chamber representing Abeokuta North, Odeda and Obafemi Owode, Hon. Mikhail Kazeem.
Several vehicles were vandalized as dangerous weapons were freely used by political thugs, leaving many injured.
The areas were thrown into confusion as residents ran for their dear lives as supporters of the two parties exchanged words over the incident.
Security agents from the Quick Response Squad (QRS), Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) and State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) were deployed to the scenes of the incident to quell the ugly development.
The Director General of the Allied People’s Movement, Alhaji Sarsfadeen Ishola, told newsmen that its party supporters who are having a meeting at Ward 5 in Mokola were attacked.
Ishola urged party faithful to remain calm and shun any act of violence before, during and after the elections.
While the acting Publicity Secretary of the APC, Tunde Oladunjoye, alleged that the attack was masterminded by the lawmaker and that the party’s candidate, Abiodun, survived assassination attack.
Oladunjoye in a statement urged President Muhammadu Buhari to wade into the insecurity situation in the state.
He said, “Earlier this morning, we gathered intelligence report that, due to the growing popularity of Prince Dapo Abiodun in Ogun State, especially the way he was received by an unprecedented crowd of people yesterday during his ward-to-ward tour of Abeokuta North Local Government, a meeting was hurriedly called last night, during which it was decided that the APC governorship candidate should be assassinated via stray bullet.
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“It was also decided at the said meeting that seven elected local government Council Chairmen and many of their councillors labelled as being loyal to the APC and supporting Prince Dapo Abiodun, should be sacked today via an announcement on government-owned state television and radio stations, OGTV and OGBC respectively.
“It would be recalled that our party had some weeks back, raised alarms about the plan to increase smear campaign against Prince Dapo Abiodun and also attack his campaign convoy.
“The Party not only called for investigation, but actually demanded that the Inspector General of Police should set up an independent panel to investigate and report to him directly, the recent escalating political violence in our once peaceful state.
“We want to assure the general public that we shall remain resolute in our non-violent campaign, while urging the masses of Ogun State not to be scared or intimidated. The 2019Â elections in Ogun State would be determined by votes and not bullets.”
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, could not be immediately reached for comments on the incident.
