Oyo State All Progressives Congress has accused the Peoples Democratic Party in the state of fuelling the violence in Oke Ado area of Ibadan.
Chairman of the Oyo State APC, Akin Oke while addressing the media at the Governor’s Office in Ibadan yesterday said “The Friday’s unprovoked attacks on the citizenry at Oke-Ado area of Ibadan and the ones recorded at Born Photo, Popo Yemoja, Idi Arere and environs on Sunday as well as the mayhem which ravaged Idikan, Opo Yeosa and environs on Tuesday were a clear manifestation of the script the opposition elements in the state had prepared for implementation.
“They are with a view to creating a tense atmosphere ahead of the 2015 general elections and discrediting the ruling party, which has received global applause for stamping out lawlessness since we came into power in May 2011.
“The case of terror unleashed on the Oke-Ado community last Friday was the handiwork of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party who sent a group of thugs on its payroll, led by one Ekugbemi, to cause a breach of public peace and thereby prevent Governor Ajimobi from visiting the Ibadan South-West Local Government Council area.”
Oke also added that “Eyewitnesses’ accounts have it that some miscreants loyal to Ekugbemi were the ones who started the trouble when one of them launched an assault on a commercial motorcyclist.
“The police tried to checkmate this when the sponsored thugs began to shoot sporadically and killed a police officer while some other innocent members of the public sustained various degrees of injuries in the process.”
Oke also insisted that the violence was instigated by the PDP in order to discredit the government of Governor Abiola Ajimobi in Oyo State.
In a statement by PDP Chairman in Oyo State, Yinka Taiwo while countering the allegations posed by the APC, he said “It is sad that rather than take responsibility for the destruction of properties and waste of innocent lives being witnessed in Ibadan in the last few days as a result of APC’s desperation ahead of the 2015 elections, the party has chosen to shift blames.
“How and where did the PDP perpetrate the violence in Ibadan? Can the APC authenticate this demonic and baseless claim? Much as we will not like to dignify APC, we state unequivocally that the PDP is committed to the peace and well-being of the people of Oyo State.”