The local government primary election of the All Progressives Congress in Irepodun local government area of Osun State turned out to be a battle field where slaps were being exchanged for free, InsightMedia has gathered.
The APC had primaries to elect chairmanship and councillorship candidates across the State for the October 15 local government elections.
It was gathered that the crisis was between the Caretaker Chairman of the local government, Adegoke Ogunsola and a party member, Muideen Adekunle also known as Oga Yoruba.
The crisis
InsightMedia gathered that Ogunsola was contesting against Mr Akeem Ademola, a serial contestant for the position of the Chairman of the local government.
Sources revealed Adekunle was to serve as the returning officer for Ward clashed with the Chairman at the Party secretariat located at Ojutu area of Ilobu.
“It was like a drama when the Chairman slapped Oga Yoruba and he (Oga Yoruba) returned the slap. Everyone was surprised at the Secretariat”, a party member who witnessed the drama narrated to InsightMedia.
Adekunle while speaking with InsightMedia said he was invited to the Party secretariat by the election committee from the State to submit the result of the Ward he supervised.
“As a retuning officer, the electoral officers requested us to come to the party secretariat. Ogunsola has hired some thugs to start attacking people while he and some of his people were at the party secretariat writing the results. Ogunsola himself was there.
“On getting to the Secretariat, I saw that Goke (Ogunsola) and some people were at the building writing results. As I tried to enter, he said I can’t come in and that I should go back. As we were arguing, he just slapped me. I asked him, why and as he could not say anything.
“After that, some people came to settle it but he asked the police to arrest and detain me. But they released me after some minutes.”
When contacted, the Caretaker Chairman denied slapping Adekunle, accusing him (Adekunle) of planning to attack some committee members at the Party secretariat.
He said, “it’s not correct that I slapped somebody. Two people from a group called Guduobe group came to attack people at the Party secretariat. I wax there trying to settle the matter when one of them held my cloth and people present came to separated the person from me. When I later realized that there may be crisis, I called the police to arrest them. One was carrying dagger, I don’t know him but i know the other one popularly known as Oga Yoruba (referring to Adekunle). Later that night, I called the DPO to release them. That’s all I can say about the matter. “
