With less than a month to the governorship election in Ondo state, Oba Akoko town and communities were put under tension following a clash between supporters of the All Progressive Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates.
It was alleged that Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu ordered the shooting of his opponent, Eyitayo Jegede’s convoy at a spot in Oba Akoko. But it has been denied by the governor’s camp.
The two candidates were in Akoko axis Wednesday for rallies.
Samuel Fasua, head, Media Research, Eyitayo Jegede Campaign Organisation (EJCO), said: “No fewer than five persons sustained varying degrees of injuries Wednesday, when, quite unexpectedly, the convoy of Ondo state governor, Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, stormed Oba-Akoko in Akoko South-west and started attacking the campaign team of Mr. Jegede, the PDP governorship flag bearer.
He stated further that: “As at now, no fewer than three vehicles in the convoy of Jegede have been badly damaged, while Jegede himself is being held hostage inside the palace of the monarch of Oloba of Oba, by gun-toting hoodlums suspected to be agents of the governor.
“Curiously, Akeredolu was sighted in the convoy while the attacks lasted. Police operatives in the location simply vacillated and looked on in the face of the orgies of madness.
“In the last five days too, there have been a series of attacks on PDP supporters in the Aiyede-Ogbese community in Akure North LGA, leading to machete and gun attacks and the burning of at least two houses of PDP members.”
Also, the Akeredolu/Aiyedatiwa Campaign Organisation (AACO) in a statement signed by Olabode Richard Olatunde, spokesperson of the group condemned in strong terms the continued and unprovoked attacks on the All Progressives Congress (APC) by the opposition PDP in Ondo state.
He said: “Just today, Wednesday, hoodlums of the governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Eyitayo Jegede (SAN), attacked the campaign convoy of Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN), at Oba-Akoko in Akoko South-west local government area of the state.
“The governor, Arakunrin Akeredolu and the campaign train of the APC were on their way to Ikare-Akoko, in continuation of the local government rally, when the thugs struck and attacked the convoy.”
“In their crass display of madness and thuggery, the hoodlums set ablaze the branded campaign vehicle donated to the Akeredolu/Aiyedatiwa Campaign Organisation by Ambassador Sola Iji. The driver of the vehicle sustained bodily injury and he is now receiving treatment at a government hospital.
“While we are shocked and saddened by this attack, we are not too surprised, because the PDP has shown that it is not focusing on issues in its campaign for the election. They will rather deploy violence and falsehood to score cheap political points.
“We say this is despicable and we view it as a sign of desperation by opposition parties in the state, who can’t stand the popularity of the APC, as they have seen the handwriting of their imminent defeat in the coming election on the wall.”
