A House of Representatives member, representing Akoko South East/South West federal constituency in Ondo State, Hon. Kolawole Babatunde has denied an allegation that he was behind an attack on an All Progressives Congress, APC, governorship aspirant, Mr. Segun Abraham during his visitation to Iwaro-Oka in Akoko South West local government.
Babatunde and Senator Ajayi Boroffice were indicted by Abraham for allegedly sending their boys to disrupt his political meeting with APC members in the community and that at the process, three of his political campaign buses were damaged by the thugs.
But, the lawmaker while reacting to the allegation at the weekend in Akure, the state capital said he never for once encouraged thuggery but said those behind the attack were mere community thugs, who always demanded for money from politicians who visited their community.
He particularly condemned the attack, saying he was busy carrying out his legislative duties in Abuja during the incident and that he could never sponsor an attack on fellow human being.
Babatunde blamed the government of not doing enough for the youths in terms of engaging them, stressing that as long as they were not engaged, political events would always be invaded by thugs.
He said “I was reliably informed that when he got to Iwaro-Oka, the meeting was allowed to hold but when he was leaving, those guys demanded for money since they were aware that he earlier donated a sum of N5million to St Catherine Hospital in the same community; at that process of demanding for money, violent erupted.
“The senator and I were vindicated when the same incident occurred in Akure South last Friday, where the same aspirant was nearly denied from holding his political meeting with APC leaders by political thugs in the town. He was forced to pay some certain amount of money before he was allowed to hold the meeting.
“These political thugs are everywhere in the country and it is the failure of those of us in government to provide jobs for them. In my own constituency, it is my primary target to ensure that I move them from the street and I am already working on that by empowering some of them.
“I have never promoted thugs before, even when I was contesting this position, I never attacked my opponents and I cannot attack anyone just because Senator Boroffice is contesting for the governorship seat. I can only support him by moblising and campaigning for him”.
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