The All Progressives Congress (APC), in Oyo State has berated Governor Seyi Makinde and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over what it described as a fresh wave of political violence in the state.
The party said residents across the state deserved peace and stability even as they look forward to what it called a post-PDP era beginning from May 29, 2027.
Tension reportedly gripped parts of the state on Saturday when factions within the ruling PDP allegedly clashed during the conduct of a parallel Local Government Congress.
The development, according to reports, further highlighted the lingering internal crisis within the ruling party in the state.
Reacting to the incident, the APC, in a statement issued at the weekend and made available to journalists in Ibadan by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, accused Makinde of worsening the concerns of residents by allegedly encouraging threats and violent confrontations among members of his party.
Sadare also faulted the governor over what he described as the government’s inability to adequately tackle security challenges such as kidnapping and banditry in parts of the state.
“The minds of many citizens were cast back to the days of political violence and unrest on Saturday when they witnessed how sponsored thugs and other criminal elements unleashed terror on PDP members who were opposed to the reported high-handedness and egocentric leadership style of Governor Makinde,” Sadare said.
He added that the aggrieved members of the PDP allegedly organised a separate ward congress which was reportedly disrupted by hoodlums in areas including Ibarapa North, Iseyin, Ibadan North-East and Ibadan North, among other local government areas.
“We recalled that the same set of hoodlums and their now out-of-favour leader, who is currently behind bars on the order of his estranged godfather, were responsible for a series of attacks against leaders and members of the APC during the electioneering period of the last general elections,” he stated.
“This time, it was brothers against brothers as factions within the PDP struggled to take control of the party structure.”
Sadare further alleged that while some thugs were deployed to disrupt the Local Government Congress, another group of hoodlums was mobilised to attack the Ibadan residence of a prominent PDP chieftain.
“An army of vicious hoodlums was mobilised to the Ibadan home of a chieftain of the party where they destroyed many cars and properties worth several billions of naira,” he stressed.
“They also inflicted varying degrees of injuries on men and women believed to be loyal to the faction associated with Nyesom Wike.”
Condemning the development, the APC spokesman urged Makinde to adopt dialogue rather than confrontation in resolving political disagreements.
“While this development remains condemnable, we urge Governor Makinde to have a rethink and learn to employ dialogue as a potent tool in resolving disputes and not violence or confrontation,” Sadare added.
He also called on security agencies to investigate the incidents with a view to identifying the perpetrators and their sponsors, stressing that the state could not afford a return to the era of widespread political violence.
