The Social Democratic Party ( SDP) in Ondo State has condemned the unprovoked attack that was unleashed on its members on Tuesday by some thugs suspected to be working for the All Progressive Congress (APC) in Idanre.
Several members of SDP were inflicted with machete cuts by suspected APC thugs on Tuesday when they were peacefully having a political meeting at the party’s secretariat in Idanre ahead of Saturday’s local government election. Guns were said to have been freely used by the suspected APC thugs in a broad day light to stop the political gathering; while several SDP members were inflicted with multiple machete cuts on different parts of their bodies.
In a statement issued on Tuesday by the SDP Chairmanship candidate in Idanre, Bankole Akinselure, it was stated that although no life was lost in the attack, but dozens of wounded SDP members had since been taken to hospitals in Idanre for medical treatment for machete cuts inflicted on them. It was further stated that vehicles and motorcycles belonging to SDP members were also destroyed in the course of the attack by suspected APC thugs.
The statement reads in parts,”
The leadership of SDP in Ondo State is hereby calling on Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu to call the leaders of APC in Idanre to order. Also, all the gun wielding thugs of APC that unleashed attack on innocent citizens should be arrested and prosecuted.
“The idea of arming thugs with guns, charms and machetes for the purpose of inflicting wounds and
disruption of peaceful political meeting of another party is totally condemnable and should not be encouraged by anyone in Ondo State”.
Akinselure also stated that the leaders of APC in Idanre had resorted to crude attack on the opposition because the people of Idanre were determinedly prepared to vote overwhelmingly for SDP on Saturday.
“The fact that the leaders of APC in Idanre have resorted to violence even ahead of Saturday’s election is a clear pointer to the wide belief that the candidate of SDP is poised to record overwhelming victory during Saturday’s local government election.
“We are therefore calling on the peace loving Governor of Ondo State and indeed all the lovers of democracy to prevail on APC leaders in Idanre not to turn our peaceful town to a battle ground in the name of trying to win an election by hook or crook”.
It was however stated by Akinselure
that the attack on SDP members had further strengthened the people of Idanre to massively vote against the unpopular candidate of APC in the local government election on Saturday.
“All the good people of Idanre have spoken against this condemnable attack on SDP members. The electorates have also questioned the need for open violence by APC leaders in Idanre in a bid to get their votes. The violence unleashed on our people has further strengthened the electorates to vote massively against the unpopular candidate of APC. We know for a fact that no popular candidate will resort to hiring of thugs to help him secure victory by maiming and intimidating the opponents to submission”, added Akinselure.