Written by Julius Toba Jegede
For about two hours on Saturday, commercial and social activities in Ikere Ekiti of Ekiti State were practically grounded as political thugs allegedly sponsored by All Progressives Congress, APC unleashed terror on the town.
The attack saw several Labour Party members, mostly youths who came for a political rally being wounded.
This happened as many vehicles carrying posters of Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, the party’s flag bearer in June 21st governoship election were also severely damaged.
Eye witness account confirmed that some of the vehicles damaged by the irate APC thugs included three staff buses belonging to the African Independent Television, AIT.
Some AIT’s technical staff who came to conduct a life broadcast of the LP’s rally were seriously injured.
Some travellers passing through Ikere Ekiti, from Akure and Ado Ekiti axis were not spared as the mayhem continued.
Trouble started few minutes after 6pm when Bamide and his peole left the venue of the rally, and moved to pay a courtesy visit to the Ikere monarch Oba Samuel Adegboye Akayejo at his palace.
When they were about a kilometre away, an APC branded bus loaded with about twenty boys drove into the location.
They allegedly swooped on the remaining party members met around the stage and those AIT’s staff busy packing their gadgets.
Victims said their assailants freely used dangerous weapons like cutlasses, axes, iron rods, sticks and locally made guns on everyone seen wearing LP-branded vests.
The attacks were not only limited to party members as the thugs later went from house to house destroying anything in sight, breaking windscreen of parked vehicles in particular.
A driver of an MOB-branded black SUV was not that lucky as the hoodlums beat him into a pulp, destroyed his vehicle, and attempted to set it ablaze before arrival of the police.
It took intervention of a truck-load of anti-riot policemen numbering about 25 to return nomalcy to the ancient town.
It was gathered that the security agents were promptly drafted to the area following initial phone calls made by Bamidele himself to the Commissioner of Police, Mr Felix Uyanna.
At the time of filling this report, a total of 23 persons were injured and now receiving treatments in various hospitals across the town, just as more than 10 vehicles were damaged.
Meanwhile, a serving senator has been fingered in an attacks that were targeted at LP followers in Ikere Ekiti yesterday.
The senator is Anthony Adeniyi, the lawmaker representing Ekiti South Senatorial district on the platform of APC, and hails from the town.
Several Labour Party’s sources in Ikere shortly after the attack narrated how Adeniyi allegedly coordinated the attack from Akure in Ondo State.
Those who carried out the attack were identified as boys who have always worked for the senator’s
political gains in the past.
Hon. Olugbenga Oke, Chairman of LP in Ikere local government disclosed that one Saliu, a driver to the senator drove the attackers to do the operation in an APC vehicle.
The vehicle, a Toyota 18-seater later seen by this reporter was destroyed by angry mob who did not allow the vehicle to move away after the attack.
Divisional Police Officer, in Ikere CSP Funso Adegboye confirmed that his men are on the trail of Saliu and other suspects.
The DPO also assured police protection for all LP members in Ikere following another threat that the APC thugs might launch a midnight attack on them and burn their houses.
The rally which led to the attack has been described as successful by LP’s members in Ekiti, they attributed the large crowd that thronged the MKO Abiola Square in Odo Oja Ikere Ekiti as a sign of victory come June 21st.
Bamidele speaking at the event said if given the chance as a governor; he would bring positive turn-around to Ekiti people in the areas of Education, Agriculture and Industrialisation.
In his words,”I stand today on the authority of father, son and holy spirit that I will lead Ekiti to victory and that I will never forget you when I get there. Under my government, we shall celebrate qualitative education again. We shall have water in our pipes and agriculture shall become fully mechanised”
On the spate of insecurity in the country, he said “I want to use this opportunity to urge all Nigerians to pray for our president, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, his wife and those working around him that God should grant him wisdom to end Boko Haram and steer the ship of this nation to a successful destination”
He used the opportunity to read out about 35 names of some individuals and politicians who recently resigned from Kayode Fayemi’s administration to join his team.
Ondo State governor, Olusegun Mimiko told the people that the APC-led government in the state lacks the capacity to make life better for them, hence the need to vote massively for LP.
National President of National Union of Local Employees, NULGE Ibrahim Mohammed Khalid also endorsed Bamidele’s candidature at the rally.
Khalid who said LP is a party of the Nigerian workers added that “we are here today with the collective mandate of the NEC of NULGE. We have every reason to here as grassroots workers. At NULGE we have decided that all local government workers who are our members in the state should vote massively for MOB”
He further attributed the position of the body to Bamidele’s decision to pick a running mate, in person of Alhaja Maryam Abimbola Ogunlade who until recently was a NULGE member.
High point at the rally was when defectors openly declared for LP in Ekiti. They included the State Chairman of Accord Party, Dr Ayo Kayode who came along with the 16 local government party chairmen to LP.
Another defector was Mrs Antonia Basorun who left APC for LP just yesterday as the Emure local government party chairperson.
They were all welcome by Chief Dan Iwuanyanwu National Chairman of LP who was at the event.
Others at the event included Deputy National Chairman, Hon. Joseph Akinlaja, Com. Yinka and Joe Odumakin, Kayode Akinmade and Sola Ebiseeni Commissioners for Information and Environments respectively in Ondo State.