Politics
Alleged political assassination: ZLP candidate, Ajanaku’s account contradicts Fijabi’s narrative
THE Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) national assembly candidate for Ibadan Northwest/ Southwest federal constituency, Otunba Rotimi Ajanaku on Tuesday presented a new version of events related to the alleged political assassination of Hon. Saheed Fijabi, the present occupant and the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
With this development, Otunba Ajanaku has contradicted the allegation of assassination leveled against him which was earlier circulated on the internet.
The Chairman Committee on Telecommunication, Hon. Fijabi had earlier raised the alarm that his life was under a threat of political assassination.
Addressing a press conference at Fijabi House, Dugbe, Ibadan, yesterday, the APC candidate who is seeking third term re-election informed that he narrowly escaped political assassination three days ago at Sabo area of Ibadan, the Oyo state capital.
While requesting for protection from the police and Department of State Security (DSS), as he insisted that the case should be taken to court, Fijabi specifically alleged that his contender in the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Rotimi Ajanaku, was purportedly behind the alleged assassination attempt.
According to him, “Precisely, in the early hours of January 6, 2019, I had a meeting and after the meeting, I was driving home. Unfortunately, on getting to Sabo area of Ibadan, I was crossed by two branded vehicles of a party, precisely ZLP. The picture of a candidate was on the bus, and one Honda Accord car, belonging to one Rotimi Ajanaku, contesting also for Ibadan South West/North West Federal Constituency.
“I was crossed at Sabo between 12:30a.m and 1a.m. I was with one of my personal assistants, Yemi. We came down and on coming down, we noticed that like 10 of them came down from the bus and brandished guns and cutlasses. They asked me to lie down in the gutter, which obviously for one reason or the other, and because of my life, I lied down in the gutter.
“It was while lied down in the gutter that I summoned courage to call my father because we were in the same meeting together at Davies Hotel, Bodija. The next person I was able to call is officer in charge of Skynet, and I called the Oyo State Control Room.
“Fortunately, within 10 to 15 minutes, while the argument was on, my father drove in. As he came down from the vehicle, one of the drivers of the bus came down and was fighting with my dad.
“From nowhere, Operation Burst came in, and the Commander of Operation Burst was even the one that led the team to the place that very morning. When he came down, all of them ran away, including Rotimi Ajanaku himself. But we were able to apprehend one of them. Ajanaku was arrested in the evening of that day and the bus was impounded.
“In searching the bus before we left that place, we could notice they still have a well-loaded and ready-to-use gun in their vehicle. In searching it, we noticed that cutlasses were wrapped in the posters in the bus, which they wanted to use against us”, Fijabi submitted.
But, in a press statement issued by Oladapo Tobiloba, Head of Media Team, Rotimi Ajanaku Campaign Organization, a copy which was made available to Mega Icon Magazine gave differing accounts of what transpired.
Contained in the press statement, Oladapo explained that on Saturday, Ajanaku’s team had gone to paste posters at Sabo axis of Adamasingba when the APC candidate, Fijabi attacked them.
He narrated further, “During this exercise around 12:,45 am on Sunday morning January 6, 2019 the team decided to get some refreshments at Sabo area. As members of this team alighted at Roundabout junction, through to Sabo , we just noticed a Toyota Hilux car and a Toyota Camry car with a tinted glass crossed our vehicle.
“Hon. Saheed Fijabi’s father, Chief Akinade Fijabi alighted from the white Hilux car and attacked one of the members of the team.
“While this ongoing, Hon. Saheed Fijabi also attacked another member of Ajanaku’s team who was attempting to record the scenario. In fact we have a 28seconds video recording of the incident as an evidence of the true story.
“Thereafter, there were struggles among our team to escape the onslaught just as Hon. Fijabi put a call through to ‘Operation Burst’. At no point was Saheed Fijabi was attacked or pushed to the ground. In fact, he pushed and rough- handled one of our members who was recording with his phone and smashed the phone. We have video evidence to backup this claim.
“We were surprised that Hon. Saheed Fijabi, judging by his exalted office could descend to the extent of lying that our team attacked him”, he added.
Ajanaku’s mouthpiece, who described the incident as political and battle of the titans, also tagged it as ‘Hon. Rotimi Ajanaku and the powers- that- be behind Fijabi’.
Continuing, he said, “If truly our team attacked Hon. Saheed Fijabi as he alleged, how come that up till this moment, there have been no report of injury on Hon. Saheed Fijabi. If he was pushed to the ground as he claimed, did he got treatment in any hospital because we do not believe he sustained any form of injury as peddled”, he questioned.
Oladapo also added, ” none of his followers at that scene has reported of having wounds”.
The lawmaker representing Akinyele/Lagelu Federal Constituency of Oyo State, Olafisoye Akinmoyede, has denied allegations of violence at the All Progressives Congress (APC) state secretariat, describing claims that he assaulted a party member as false and politically motivated.
An online platform, IMPARTNEWSNETWORK, had alleged that Akinmoyede assaulted one Gafar Oyebade during a meeting convened by the state chairman of the party, Alake Adeyemo, to resolve issues surrounding the executive list of the APC in Lagelu Local Government Area.
However, Akinmoyede, in a statement on Tuesday, said the meeting was peaceful and attended by key members of the state executive, including the chairman, deputy chairman, and secretary, who witnessed the proceedings.
He clarified that contrary to Oyebade’s claim of being the party secretary, the official list presented by the state leadership recognised him as the Public Relations Officer.
According to the lawmaker, following the clarification, the state executive directed the Lagelu Local Government chairman, Fatai Awoyoola, to proceed with the swearing-in of other party officials.
Akinmoyede also faulted attempts to link the incident with the 2019 killing of a former federal lawmaker, noting that a court of competent jurisdiction had already ruled on the matter.
He said, “In Suit No. I/70c/2019, delivered by Justice Mufutau Adegbola on January 23, 2020, all those accused were discharged and acquitted.”
The lawmaker expressed concern over what he described as a deliberate attempt to mislead the public, alleging that Oyebade, a public school teacher under the Oyo State Government, should not be involved in partisan politics.
He described the allegation as a “recycled script” aimed at tarnishing his image ahead of political activities, urging constituents to remain calm.
Akinmoyede also called on journalists to verify information before publication and urged security agencies to take action against individuals who file false reports.
“These tactics surface every election cycle. Those behind them should learn to accept the outcomes of political processes. They failed before and will fail again. Power comes from God,” he added.
The lawmaker representing Akinyele/Lagelu Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Olafisoye Akinmoyede, has denied allegations of assault levelled against him by a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Lagelu Local Government Area, Mr. Gafar Oyebade.
Akinmoyede described the allegation as “false” and “a lie taken too far,” insisting that no physical altercation occurred.
The denial was contained in a statement issued on Monday by his Legislative Aide, Dr. Isiaq Akintunde.
Oyebade had alleged that he was hospitalised following a confrontation during a meeting held at the office of the state party chairman in Oke-Ado, Ibadan, convened to resolve a leadership dispute in the local government.
But the federal lawmaker maintained that the meeting was peaceful and attended by top party officials.
“The meeting was convened to clarify Mr. Oyebade’s position within the local executive, and it was attended by the State Party Chairman, his deputy, the secretary, the publicity secretary, and other key state executives, all of whom witnessed the peaceful proceedings,” the statement read.
He added that contrary to Oyebade’s claim of being the party secretary, the official list presented by the Lagelu Local Government Party Chairman, Hon. Fatai Awoyoola, identified him as the Public Relations Officer.
According to Akinmoyede, the state executive thereafter directed Awoyoola to proceed with the swearing-in of the remaining members of the local government executive.
The lawmaker accused Oyebade of fabricating the allegation to advance political interests.
“I wonder why Mr. Gafar Oyebade, a secondary school teacher, would claim he was assaulted in the presence of the State Executive. This is an attempt to justify money allegedly collected from an aspirant to tarnish my image,” he said.
Akinmoyede further claimed that Oyebade was seen walking freely after the meeting and was not hospitalised as alleged.
He also raised concerns over Oyebade’s involvement in partisan politics, noting that civil servants are restricted from active participation in political activities.
The lawmaker called on security agencies and the media to investigate the incident at the party’s Oke-Ado office to ascertain the veracity of the claims.
Efforts to reach Oyebade for comments were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
The lawmaker representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency and Chairman, House Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, Aderemi Oseni, has declared his intention to contest the Oyo South Senatorial seat in the 2027 general elections.
Oseni made his aspiration known during a high-level meeting with the Ibarapa APC Elders’ and Leaders’ Forum, comprising the G9 and the expanded G64 caucus, held at the party secretariat in Eruwa, Ibarapa East Local Government Area, over the weekend.
The G9 and G64 groups consist of influential stakeholders drawn from Ibarapa East, Ibarapa Central, and Ibarapa North local government areas.
In a statement issued on Monday by his media aide, Idowu Ayodele, and made available to journalists in Ibadan, the lawmaker expressed appreciation to the forum for their support and confidence in his leadership and vision.
He said his ambition to represent Oyo South Senatorial District was anchored on a determination to consolidate and expand his record of performance.
Oseni said, “This aspiration is not built on mere rhetoric, but on the continuity and expansion of a proven track record of quality representation and grassroots-oriented governance.”
While soliciting the support of party leaders, he described his ambition as a divine call to serve the people with renewed dedication.
According to him, “This is not a time for self-glory but a sacred responsibility to intensify efforts towards real development, bring more relief to our people and ensure inclusive governance.”
He pledged not to betray the trust reposed in him by party elders and faithful, stressing that his aspiration is rooted in progressive ideals and a genuine commitment to the development of the district.
Oseni also urged leaders in the zone to mobilise support towards delivering one million votes for President Bola Tinubu in the forthcoming election.
Speaking at the meeting, a leader from Ibarapa East, Chief Michael Morawo, lauded the lawmaker for delivering democratic dividends and strengthening the party structure. He added that Oseni has demonstrated commendable leadership through his performance, noting that his impact in stabilising the party within the constituency is evident.
Similarly, a former council chairman in Ibarapa Central, Chief Theophilus Adenrele, commended the lawmaker for not betraying the trust reposed in him. Also, a chieftain from Ibarapa North, Chief Francis Babalola, described Oseni as a humble leader committed to progressive ideals, dismissing speculations about his possible defection if he does not secure the governorship ticket.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the forum, Chief Timothy Jolaoso, said the lawmaker enjoys widespread grassroots acceptance that cuts across political divides.
Jolaoso said, “All indicators consistently point to Oseni as a candidate with acceptance that transcends party lines. He is not only capable but a man of deep faith with proven empathy for the downtrodden.”
He added, “He possesses the goodwill, financial strength, and public trust required for leadership.”
The elder statesman further noted that Oseni’s performance in the House of Representatives, alongside his role as Chairman of the FERMA Committee, underscores his competence and commitment to development.
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