Violence erupted in Osogbo the Osun State capital today as suspected supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) engaged in violent clashes.
Today’s clash comes ahead of the rerun election scheduled for Thursday after last Saturday’s governorship election in the state was declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Initial reports say a leading member of PDP, Alhaji Fatai Oyedele, popularly known as Diekola, was attacked by some hoodlums loyal to APC at Alekuwodo, one of the areas where the rerun poll would be held.
Reliable sources close to APC said that it was Oyedele that mobilised thugs to attack APC supporters, who resisted his attempt to induce the potential voters in the area with money.
They also claimed that Oyedele had been arrested and was being detained by the police at an undisclosed location in Osogbo.
According to initial reports, some PDP thugs with some chieftains of the party had gone to Alekuwodo area to canvass for votes ahead of the rerun election.
However, some thugs also reportedly stormed the area with APC leaders to canvass for votes.
Eyewitnesses said the APC thugs came armed with guns and other weapons and saw Diekola who they reportedly attacked.
Diekola’s driver and another occupant of his car were also reportedly attacked with machetes as they shot indiscriminately into the air.
The incident was said to have led to pandemonium as residents fled the area.
But in a swift reaction, the Campaign Organisation of the APC governorship candidate issued a statement claiming that it was the PDP that initiated the violence.
It says that the alleged arrest of Oyedele had confirmed the general opinion that PDP was out to perverse the will of the people in the rerun election.
The statement claims that Oyedele was arrested today in Ward, 5 Alekuwodo Osogbo “in possession of hundreds of Permanent Voters Card already procured through purchase, brutal force and secret oath”.
