The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation (SSACO) has urged the Allied Peoples’ Movement (APM) governorship candidate, Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi, to rein in his supporters following an alleged attack on APC supporters in Ibadan, which it says is part of a pattern of violence against members of the party across Oyo State.
Two APC members, Abiola Abulesowo and Abanise Olanrewaju, were allegedly beaten at the Ibadan North Local Government secretariat on Wednesday. SSACO said the attackers were APM supporters. The APM has not yet commented on the allegation, and the police have not publicly confirmed an incident.
Attack on APC supporters in Ibadan: What the victims say
According to the two members, they had accompanied a newly registered voter to the INEC office at the secretariat when they were identified by a group of men. The incident happened at about 1pm.
Abulesowo said the men asked why APC members had entered a secretariat they described as under APM leadership. We answered that the secretariat belongs to all Nigerians, not just APM members,” he said.
He said slaps and punches followed as they tried to explain that the visit was not political. The two ran, he said, but were pursued and fell into the hands of members of the Park Management System (PMS) at a bus stop, who continued the beating and tore their clothes. They tore our dress and thoroughly embarrassed us, just because we are APC members,” he said.
SSACO urges Adekanmbi, Makinde to restrain supporters
In a statement, SSACO’s Director of Media and Publicity, Bisi Oladele, condemned violence against APC members. He urged Adekanmbi and Governor Seyi Makinde to caution their supporters and not to shelter behind government authority to harm opposition members or anyone else in the state.
This condemnable act is another incident in an ugly trend of muscling the opposition in Oyo State under Governor Seyi Makinde’s leadership,” the statement said. It added that the loss of popularity was affecting the governor and his candidate, but that nothing justifies violence.
SSACO urged both men to “follow the path of peaceful campaign” and to focus on issues rather than attacks.
Call on police to act in Ibadan
The campaign organisation asked the Commissioner of Police to identify the attackers and prosecute them. “Oyo State belongs to us all,” the statement said, “and no one should use government power to prevent opposition members from living a peaceful life.
SSACO has made similar allegations in recent weeks, including claims that the wife of the APC candidate and some APC campaign teams were attacked in Ibadan. The APM and the state government have not publicly addressed this latest incident.
