The politics of intolerance that has been the centre piece of electioneering campaign in Osun State in recent times continued over the weekend, as the members of the Osun State House of Assembly, representing Ilesha West and Ilesha East have been accused of leading political thugs to destroy President Goodluck Jonathan’s reelection posters in parts of the Iffe/Ijesha senatorial district.
The members, Timothy Owoeye and Fafowora were accused of leading thugs to Isokun, Ilesha shortly after a Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, campaign rally in the community to destroy the posters.
This was disclosed at the weekend in Ilesha by the PDP Senatorial candidate for Iffe/Ijesha senatorial district, Chief Francis Fadahunsi, who accused members and candidates of the APC of gross provocation and playing politics of intolerance.
In a telephone chat with DAILY POST, Fadahunsi, a retired deputy comptroller general of customs, said members of the APC in the area had been provoking PDP members and were employing dirty tactics to intimidate them.
Fadahunsi said: “It has become imperative for us in the PDP in Osun State to let the world know what the APC has been doing in the state. We have been subjected to different forms of intimidating acts by APC controlled thugs. They have attacked us without provocation, destroying campaign vehicles, defacing our campaign posters and inflicting deadly wounds on our supporters.
“The other day in Ikirun, APC thugs invaded the campaign rally of Kayode Oduoye, dealing machete cuts of his supporters and destroying campaign vehicles. Just this weekend, they destroyed campaign posters of President Jonathan in parts of the state. My campaign buses were not spared, as they pasted APC candidates posters on them.
“These are highly provocative acts meant to drag our party and supporters into their dirty game of political violence. It is equally shameful that supposed honourable members of the House of Representatives are the ones at the forefront of these devilish and dastardly acts. Their involvement has no doubt revealed to the whole world the kind of representation they have been giving the good people of Ijesha land and what they will keep giving if they are allowed back to the house”, he said.
The retired custom boss called on security agencies in the state to thoroughly investigate all acts of violence and vandalism in the state as perpetrated by political thugs and bring those found wanting to book.
He further called on the state governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola to call his party members and their thugs to order, warning that nobody had the monopoly of violence.
Fadahunsi, however, called on members and supporters of PDP in the state to troop out enmasse to vote for President Goodluck Jonathan and all PDP candidates in the state in the February 14 and 28 elections.
Speaking on his chances for the senatorial election for Iffe/Ijesha senatorial district in the face of the intimidating presence of the APC and the state governor, who comes from the same senatorial district with him, Fadahunsi said the coming election in Iffe/Ijesha was not about political parties but the personalities involved.
“The elections here is not about parties but about the personalities involved. I cannot be intimidated by Aregbesola’s profile as governor because I have paid my dues in this district. I have been involved in economic and social development of the people and they know what I stand for. I have used my personal resources and contact over the years to advance the cause of my people. They know if am voted in, they are in for a better life”, he said.
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