The Accord and the All Progressives Congress in Osun state have continued to exchange words over the killing of one man identified as Kolade Eluyera in Ikire, Irewole Local Government Area of the state on Saturday.
Chairman of Accord, Victor Akande and the Media Director of APC, Kola Olabisi in separate statements threw accusation and counter-allegations over the killing of Eluyera.
Akande accused the opposition of being the brain behind the murder, describing the victim as a member of his party.
“The broad day killing of Kolade Oluyera is callous and barbaric, which has no place in a democratic setting. It is deeply concerning that the Osun APC, upon realising the futility of convincing the people to vote for it in the August 15th gubernatorial election due to its past failing, have chosen violence to scare and force itself on them.
“The pattern is quite visible, and should worry every lover of democracy in Nigeria and beyond on the extent that the Osun APC is willing to go to seize power without the buying of the people. Just a few days ago, campaign billboards erected in Osogbo and other parts of Osun state to project the re-election bid of Governor Ademola Adeleke were vandalised.
“This is desperation at play, and it is important that the whole world is alerted to the reign of terror that Osun APC is visiting on the people in a bid to force itself on them. As a party, we believe every life is sacred and no one’s ambition is worth the life of citizens, and those who choose to kill fellow human being for the purpose of attaining political office has lost every iota of humanity and should be rejected by all.
“While it is quite certain that the Osun APC is pursuing a bloodletting agenda following the reality of its rejection by the people, we maintain that we will explore every lawful means to protect not just our members but the good of Osun state from falling victims of the murderous party.”
Akande enjoined the security agencies to investigate the killings.
“In that regard, we want to enjoin security agencies to be alive to their responsibility and protect citizens in line with their constitutional role. We equally call on the security agencies to go after the known perpetrators of the killing of Kolade Oluyera and make them justice without delay, no matter how powerful their backers are.
“We must note that the killing of Kolade Oluyera is not a coincidence, especially given the fact that he is likely to be the Accord polling unit agent in ATILE unit where the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, is a voter, as he had served as PDP in the same unit in the past and uncompromising. Mandate for political office should come from the people, not by spilling their bloods to march on to the seat of power.”
Reacting to the allegations against it, the APC cautioned the Accord not to politicize the killings in the state.
Olabisi described the linking of the APC and its candidate, Bola Oyebamiji to the killing as uncharitable and wicked.
“It is uncharitable, wicked and inhuman of the campaign committee wing of the re-election bid of Governor Ademola Adeleke to willingly embark on the threatening of the security of the state out of the its desperation to sell their difficult candidate who has recorded abysmal failure in its close to four years in the office.
“This deliberate act of misinformation to feed the innocent people of the state with falsehoods in order to gain unmerited political advantage by the failed administration of Governor Adeleke is now shaking the peace of the state to its foundation.
“Must a misfit dabble into an act of selling the most difficult candidate-governor ever in the political history of this country forgetting that a profession is a body of know unknown to a layman?
“Loading of the death of a young man, one Eluyera Kolade, an alleged son of the Accord Party women leader, in the Irewole Local Government Council Area of Osun State, on some members of our party by the Adeleke re-election campaign council was frivolous, fabricated and a ploy to call a dog a bad name in order to hang it as violence and brigandage have not been the hallmark of the APC at all its levels.”
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