No fewer than two persons were killed, while many others sustained injuries on Saturday as the ward delegates’ congress of the Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, recorded huge violence in several wards across the state.
The PDP was electing three delegates who would in turn join the party EXCOS to elect the governorship candidate of the party on March 7.
InsightMedia gathered that one Toheeb Mutallib was confirmed killed at ward 14 Oke-Oba, Agberire, in Iwo Local Government Area, while another party member, identified as Aremu Olamide, was also killed in Ipetumodu, Ife-North Local Government Area.
Aremu’s alleged killers were also said to have been shot in the leg and taken to a hospital for treatment.
Eye witnesses also disclosed that many party members sustained different categories of injuries, as thugs attempted to disrupt the exercise in many council areas, including Ede, Osogbo, Odo-Otin, Olorunda, Iwo, among others.
A car was also set ablaze in Ipetumodu, following a clash between some political thugs in the town.
Confirming the incident, the Osun State Police Public Relations Officer, Yemisi Opalola said two persons were killed during the ward Congress.
Opalola said: “One Toheeb Mutallib was killed at Agberire village in Iwo Local Government Area, after he was cut with a cutlass, while the other victims were taken to an undisclosed hospital and responding to treatment.
“One Aremu Olamide too was killed with gun in Ipetumodu, Ife-North Local Government Area, while the other victim was also taken to hospital and is being treated.”
We held parallel Congress
Speaking with InsightMedia, a member of the Wale Ojo faction of the party, Funmiso Babarinde accused the Sunday Bisi-led faction of attack on the party members.
He said they had to hold their own Congress separately to avoid more casualties on their members.
Babarinde said, “We had to go for a parallel Congress to avoid more casualties. They Sunday Bisi faction has hired several thugs and they’re too deadly. The person killed in Ipetumodu was with us earlier in the day but he was later shot by thugs.”
No parallel Congress anywhere
However, Director Media and Publicity of the party, Oladele Bamiji, said there was no parallel congress in any part of the state, adding that both sides participated in just one congress.
Bamiji said: “We started the process together, the Congress Committee led by Governor Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa State met all the aspirants with party stakeholders and it was agreed that each aspirants should have observer/monitors in each of the ward across the state.
“We left the collation centre at WOCDIF for the respected wards. Those that are shouting that the congress was disrupted were only saying so after their expectation was not met.
“There are pockets of crisis here and there but the process was largely peaceful.”
Bamiji said the death of Mutallib has nothing to do with PDP Congress, adding that he was killed by some suspected cultists in the early hours of the day.
“Toheeb’s mother had nothing to do with our Congress. In fact, we gathered that his mother is a staunch APC member who participated in the last Saturday primaries of the party. He was killed by some suspected cultists earlier before our party Congress commenced.”
