The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation (SSACO) has condemned the attacks on Alhaja Tawakalitu Alli, wife of the Oyo State All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Sen. Sharafadeen Alli, and two candidates of the party in Ibadan on Wednesday.
Mrs Alli was attacked during a medical outreach she organised at Ibikunle House, Ayeye, Ibadan while the Oyo South APC senatorial candidate Hon. Aderemi Oseni and Ibadan North West/Ibadan South West Federal Constituency candidate Hon. Folake Olunloyo-Oshinowo’s campaign trains were attacked during separate campaign events at Agbaje Market, Orita-Merin, and Idi-Arere, Ibadan on Wednesday.
The campaign organisation, in a statement by its Director of Media and Publicity Bisi Oladele, described the attacks as unwarranted, barbaric, and deliberate efforts to drag Oyo State back to the dark days of violence.
The statement read in part: “The Senator Sharafadeen Alli Campaign Organisation (SSACO) is at the least miffed by the unwarranted and barbaric attacks by Allied People’s Movement (APM) hoodlums on Alhaja Tawakalitu Alli during a medical outreach she organised at Ibikunle House, Ayeye, Ibadan, on Wednesday. Sponsored hoodlums also attacked the APC candidate for Oyo South Senatorial District, Hon. Aderemi Oseni; and the party’s candidate for Ibadan North-West/Ibadan South-West Federal Constituency, Hon. Folake Olunloyo-Oshinowo, during separate campaign events at Agbaje Market, Orita-Merin, and Idi-Arere, Ibadan on the same Wednesday.
“The SSACO calls on Governor Seyi Makinde who is the APM promoter in Oyo State, and the party’s governorship candidate, Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi, to rein in on their hoodlums. APC candidates and supporters in Oyo State will not surrender our inalienable rights to freely associate, gather and campaign within the ambits of the law. And no amount of threats will deter
the party from campaigning across Oyo State
“Needless to stress that this ugly development which endangers the lives of political actors and innocent residents of Oyo State is a deliberate attempt by Governor Seyi Makinde and Hon. Adekanmbi to drag the peaceful Oyo State they inherited in 2019 back to the days of notorious violence which the state has already forgotten.
“As the chief security officer of the state, Governor Makinde carries the responsibility to protect all residents irrespective of their political leanings. This is the oath he swore to in 2019 and 2023. A governor and governorship candidate who sponsor violence against the opposition and the good people of Oyo State are nothing but enemies of the people and enemies of democracy.
“The SSACO calls on security agencies to fish out these perpetrators of violence and bring them to book in order to serve justice to the victims and also serve as a deterrence to violence in our dear state.
“It is obvious that Governor Makinde and Adekanmbi are sponsoring these attacks because of the imminent loss in the 2027 elections that is staring at them. But no ambition of any man or woman is worth the blood of others. They should stop this violence forthwith and allow peaceful campaign by all political parties in Oyo State. We are assuring Governor Makinde and Hon. Adekanmbi that APC candidates in Oyo State will continue to take their messages to the people. No threat against APC candidates will stop the imminent defeat of Adekanmbi and other APM candidates in the 2027 general elections.
“The good people of Oyo State deserve
issue-based campaigns, not violence. We advise Governor Makinde, Adekanmbi and other political parties to focus on presenting their programmes and policies to the electorate not visiting violence on the people.
“We advise Governor Makinde and Hon. Adekanmbi to call their APM thugs to order. APC candidates will not be intimidated by the violent APM machinery. “