Osun APC, Accord trade allegations over post-election attacks

Four days after the governorship election in Osun State, the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Accord Party are embroiled in a conflict over alleged post-election attacks being carried out by members of both political parties.

The APC, in a statement from its spokesperson, Chief Kola Olabisi, claimed that there have been reported incidents of violent attacks on its members and supporters by the Accord Party.

These incidents reportedly began on Sunday, following the declaration of Governor Ademola Adeleke as the winner by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In response, the Accord Party, through its Chairman, Pastor Victor Akande, described the APC’s allegations as a “concoction of lies and propaganda.”

He asserted that Accord members are not attacking their opposition, despite the extensive pre-election violence that was allegedly inflicted on them by the APC.

According to him, “Osun APC oppressed our members for several months. The opposition killed 20 of our members with about 30 receiving treatment from gun injuries. Our members did not lift a finger against the aggressors then and now,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, the APC further alleged that, some ‘illegal sit-at-home local government council chairmen’ forced their way into council areas with political hoodlums armed with guns, cutlasses, cudgels and juju.

It also claimed some illegal NURTW executives have been forcing their way into motor parks through thugs.

The APC listed incidents including: attacks in the Oke-fia area of Osogbo on Monday; attacks in the Amudaoba area of Modakeke on Sunday; an attack on the Ward 9 APC chairman in Iba in Ifelodun LGA on Sunday; and the destruction of Akibu Olateju’s house in Ilie in Ifelodun LGA.

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“Immediately after INEC declared Governor Adeleke winner on Sunday, Accord Party thugs broke loose and burnt four motorcycles belonging to our members in Modakeke and destroyed the shop of one of our female members. Both male and female Accord members used horse tail to whip an APC female member to stupor in a recorded video that has gone viral.”

“We condemn in its entirety the needless violent attacks of our members by the Accord Party hoodlums as it’s a threat to public peace capable of plunging the state into a full-blown crisis should there be reprisal attacks by our members.”

“Governor Adeleke should call his attack dogs who are unjustifiably attacking our members and supporters to order as the continuation of such could be a recipe for avoidable disturbance of public peace.”

“It is important for Governor Adeleke to know that he must manage his victory very well to avert avoidable cataclysm that may bedevil his fragile administration.”

However, Accord maintained that, “Osun APC oppressed our members for several months. The opposition killed 20 of our members with about 30 receiving treatment from gun injuries. Our members did not lift a finger against the aggressors then and now,” the statement said.

“A few days before the election, several APC members openly called for the killing and maiming of Accord members”.

“The police ignored the gravity of those genocidal utterances and proceeded to further arrest our leaders across the local governments.”

“On the eve of the election, the APC orchestrated the arrests of our leaders so that they cannot organise for the election. At Ikire, several houses of our members were vandalised. We slept in uncompleted buildings to escape arrests.

The Osun APC was accused of breaking the law, illegally occupying the local governments, diverting over N350 billion in local government funds to the APC election campaign, detaining overnight 60 of Accord members, dissolving NURTW leadership whose tenure was yet to expire to install APC thugs, and harassing anybody wearing Accord yellow caps.

“Rather than apologising to Osun people for killing and wounding many, the APC is pushing the victim card. We submit that the APC is the aggressor and the party and its chieftains should be prosecuted for needless violence it deliberately visited on Osun people.”

“Our members are law abiding. They belong to a responsible political party, not a ‘tabon tabon’ party.”