Posted by By TUNDE RAHEEM Akure on
Labour Party in Ondo State has alleged that the state governor, Dr Olusegun Agagu has released N25million to thugs and other militant youths in the state to embark on a large-scale violence around the venue of the Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Akure, the state capital
Labour Party in Ondo State has alleged that the state governor, Dr Olusegun Agagu has released N25million to thugs and other militant youths in the state to embark on a large-scale violence around the venue of the Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Akure, the state capital
LP also alleged that the state government has distributed LP's vests and caps to thugs with aims of denting the image of the party before the public.
Also, leaders of the LP in the State are to be attacked by these hired thugs in a renewed assault meant to cow the party leadership any moment from no.
A release issued by its Director of Press, Mr. Kolawole Olabisi, disclosed that a desperate act by a highly worried Agagu, which also include possible attack on members of the five man election petition tribunal led by Justice G.M Nabaruma was meant to intimidate the members and possible stampede them into shifting the venue of their sittings from Ondo State.
The release said that when news got to governor Agagu last Wednesday that the Tribunal had asked Mimiko to continue with the scanning of the ballot papers used for the April 14 election he hurriedly left for Abuja, from where he went to Lagos where he presided over a meeting in Ikoyi where it was agreed that Mimiko's winning steaks must be curtailed at all cost.
'For this act to be carried out, Dr Agagu released N25 million which would be used to mobilize their thugs and also print vests and caps bearing LP logo and carrying the picture of Dr Olusegun Mimiko to carry out the attack on the Tribunal venue and unleashed a new wave of terror on the State and known leaders of the LP. These vests and caps which were printed by one of the major printers and associate of Mr. Femi Agagu, the younger brother of the governor who is also the Chief Of Staff had already been distributed to all the 18 local government areas in the State through top government and PDP officials." Olabisi said.
According to him,'indeed to him the press conference addressed last Thursday by Chief Segun Adegoke, Agagu's Special Adviser on Political Matters in which he raised a false alarm that LP was out to intimidate the Tribunal and embark on bombing of the state was a veiled reference of their hatched plot to do this and surreptitiously hang it on LP's neck.
Indeed, isn't it far fetched for a government in power whose members and thugs have been caught variously by the Police with arms and ammunitions to label us as a violent party? This is beyond Adegoke's usual 'chop chop' politics rather, he is out on a personal vendetta against our party given the numerous wild and unsubstantiated allegations he made'
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'Again, the whole world is aware of our noble stance to take our case to the law court for adjudication and to abide by the outcome of this court case. And if the Tribunal has been doing its job without fear or favour, why should anybody now accuse of us of trying to intimidate them if that is not exactly what they want to do only to try and pin it on us., on our part, our members are law abiding and we are calling on all security agencies in Ondo State to be aware of this new plan borne out of desperacy by Dr Agagu and his minions to embark on large scale violence. Any person or persons found near or around the Tribunal trying to foment trouble should be dealt with and made to bear the the full brunt of his actions."