Osun guber: PDP, peddling falsehood – Oyetola’s campaign council

We are constrained to once again alert the good people of Osun, at home and in the diaspora, the general public, and the international community, to the unfolding unsavoury developments in our dear State, orchestrated by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

As a responsible and peace-loving party, we have consistently reiterated and acted in accordance with our commitment to a peaceful, credible and transparent electoral process. This is clearly evident by how we have been conducting ourselves and our supporters since the campaigns began. But on the contrary, the PDP, continue to show that they are not interested in and ready for a violence-free election.

You will recall that on June 20, 2022, we addressed a press conference to raise alarm over the dangerous and clandestine moves and plans of the PDP to unleash violence on our members, and the people of Osun.

For instance, Sanya Omirin, a House of Representatives candidate on the platform of the PDP publicly boasted that he would deploy bombs and grenades on election day against our supporters. About a week later, PDP Osun West senatorial candidate, Lere Oyewumi was seen and heard in a video that went viral charging PDP members to use stones, sticks, cutlasses and other dangerous weapons against the APC and its supporters on election day.

It is however, surprising that since that day, security operatives in the State are yet to take any concrete action on the allegations we raised. In fact, none of the perpetrators has been invited for questioning. This silence and inaction have emboldened the PDP and its agents to embark on further unprovoked attacks on our members and supporters across the State.

In different parts of the State, our members and supporters are harassed and attacked on a daily basis by PDP thugs, in clear demonstration of the party’s unprecedented political desperation.

Sadly, they are not only attacking our members, but also descending on security operatives. Just yesterday, a group of masked PDP hoodlums attacked some personnel of the Amotekun Corps at their office in Isale-Osun, Osogbo. The thugs who reportedly came with a branded PDP Sienna vehicle, wielded guns, cutlasses and inflicted injuries on the Amotekun personnel.

It is, therefore, a blatant falsehood to claim that there was an attack at the palace of Ataoja. There was nothing of such. As a matter of fact, it was the PDP that attacked Bolaji Jimoh, a Caretaker chairman of Osogbo South LCDA. The attack forced her to run for her dear life to seek refuge in the office of Amotekun. The PDP thugs followed her there and in the process attacked Amotekun office. It was unfortunate that our revered Ataoja reacted on the situation without investigation. He allowed himself to be misused by the PDP.

Let me also add here that as a Government we have tremendous respect for the traditional institution. If the PDP is not lying and is serious about its allegations, it should give us the name and particulars of the government officials allegedly threatening the traditional rulers or shut their mouth. Let me however reiterate here that the allegation is a figment of their imagination. They are known peddlers of falsehood.

We clearly understand that PDP has absolutely nothing to campaign on hence it has resorted to playing diversionary and manipulative tactic by regularly spinning ridiculous conspiracies and churning out baseless and utterly false allegations to blackmail our party and candidate.

As for us in the APC, we are confident of victory in the July 16 governorship contest. This is as a result of the competence, sterling performance, track records and popularity of our candidate as well as the influence and support base our progressive party enjoys across the State.