It was a narrow escape yesterday night for the senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for Osun East senatorial district, Chief Francis Fadahunsi, as unknown gunmen attacked him in Osogbo, shortly after leaving INEC’s office in Osun State capital.
According to a DAILY POST source in Osogbo, Fadahunsi, in the company of the state chairman of PDP, Alhaji Gani Olaoluwa and other party leaders, had visited the INEC office because of the delay in announcing the winner of the senatorial contest. But on their way back, they discovered that they were being trailed by a car, prompting his security vehicle to block the car.
Continuing, the source said, the occupants of the car alighted immediately and opened fire on the PDP candidate and others.
“The car was blocked by Fadahunsi’s security vehicle; he was asked to move to the state party secretariat. As this was going on, the occupants of the car alighted and opened fire on them. It took the gallant effort of the candidate’s police orderly to repel the attack”.
Speaking to DAILY POST on the attack, Fadahunsi thanked God for sparing his life but wondered why people will be desperate to the point of attempting to kill him.
“I thank God that I survived the attack. My opponent and his party are getting desperate because of the defeat that is staring them in the face. They know they have lost the election, that’s why they want to take me out of the way. But it is unfortunate that their desperation has gotten to the point of attempting to assassinate me”.
Controversy has continued to trail the delay in announcing the result of the senatorial election in the zone.
From the result so far released, the PDP has won two out of three House of Representatives seats in the zone. PDP won Ijesha North and Ife federal constituencies while the All Progressives Congress, APC picked that of Ijesha South Federal Constituency.
DAILY POST reports that the delay in announcing the result may not be unconnected with the inability of two polling units in the senatorial district to vote. Voters at the units protested at the INEC collation centre for the senatorial district in Ilesha, insisting that the result must not be announced without their votes. This made INEC officials to transfer their operation to their Oshogbo office.
Speaking on the delay, another source in Osogbo said: Results from the six local government in Ijesha land came early and were collated while INEC waited for that of the four local governments in Ife. ”As we waited, the APC chieftains at the collation centre accused the PDP of hijacking the results but this was swiftly debunked by INEC officials who said the results were not hijacked and that their officials were on their way with the result.
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