Oyo APC calls for probe into alleged attack on Accord campaign team

By Adejayan Gbenga

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State has called on security agencies to investigate an alleged attack on the campaign team of the Accord governorship candidate, Alhaji Oriyomi Hamzat, in Ibadan.

The incident reportedly occurred around noon on Wednesday in the Molete area of the state capital, when suspected members of the Park Management System (PMS) allegedly attacked vehicles conveying Accord supporters during a street campaign. Eyewitnesses reportedly said the attackers wielded dangerous weapons, leaving several supporters with varying degrees of injuries.

In a statement issued on Wednesday and made available to journalists in Ibadan, the Oyo APC Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, condemned the alleged attack and urged the police and other security agencies to conduct a thorough investigation to identify those responsible and bring them to justice.

The party also accused Governor Seyi Makinde of allegedly directing PMS officials to compel commercial motorists to display campaign materials of the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM) on their vehicles, including tricycles and motorcycles. The APC claimed that the alleged directive was intended to advance the party’s political interests and intimidate opposition groups.

Furthermore, the APC alleged that its members were attacked at three locations in Ibadan the previous week, linking the incidents to political actors it accused of using the PMS to promote violence. It also blamed unnamed political interests for the destruction of opposition campaign billboards, posters and other campaign materials across the state.

According to the party, Wednesday’s incident occurred in broad daylight, allowing some residents to identify the alleged perpetrators. However, the APC said it would not pre-empt the outcome of an independent investigation, urging residents to remain calm and vigilant while security agencies carried out their duties.

“The same power mongers who are compelling beleaguered commercial motorists to take up APM campaign assignment are responsible for sponsorship of violent attacks against members of the opposition parties in the state,” the statement said.

The APC recalled the administration of former Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi, claiming that his government had moved the state away from political violence. It warned against what it described as attempts to revive political violence in Oyo State and called for decisive action to protect political parties and their supporters.