Posted by By AKEEB ALARAPE, Ibadan on
Ahead of today's ruling by the election petitions tribunal sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State, on the petitions filed against the April 14 governorship election in the state, leading politicians in the state have deserted their homes over fear of possible violence after the ruling.
Ahead of today's ruling by the election petitions tribunal sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State, on the petitions filed against the April 14 governorship election in the state, leading politicians in the state have deserted their homes over fear of possible violence after the ruling.
Investigations conducted by Daily Sun showed that none of the petitioners in today's cases was in the country as at yesterday. Attempts to get their expectations on where the pendulum of the scale of justice would swing in their various petitions failed to yield any result.
The tribunal on Friday announced its readiness to deliver its ruling on the petitions brought by the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) governorship candidate in the election, Senator Abiola Ajimobi, against the declaration of Governor Adebayo Alao-Akala, as the winner of the election by the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC). Ajimobi had alleged violence and electoral malpractices in the conduct of the election while insisting that he won the election.
Also to be determined today by the tribunal was the consolidated case brought by the trio of the governorship candidates of the Democratic Peoples Alliance (DPA), Prof. Wole Akinboade; Republican Party of Nigeria (RPN), Chief Muiz Akande, and National Democratic Party (NDP), Prince Ademola Ayoade, who had separately petitioned the tribunal on the eligibility of Akala to stand for the election in view of his indictment for corruption by an Administrative Panel set up by his (Akala) former boss, Senator Rasidi Ladoja, as well as on his alleged compulsory retirement from the Nigerian Police Force.
Investigations conducted by Daily Sun revealed yesterday that Ajimobi had left the country two weeks earlier while Akinboade had since gone into hiding over incessant threat to his life. It was also gathered that Prince Ayoade and Akande had since abandoned their homes after several moves by machineries of the state government to cajole them to withdraw their petitions from the tribunal failed.
Even the immediate past governor of the state, under who Akala served as deputy-governor, Ladoja, had also left the country over alleged plans to attack his house and kidnap some of his close aides.
Just last week, Ajimobi's wife, Florence, was attacked by a seven-man gang at an eatery while a die-hard supporter of Ladoja, Mr. Kayode Olayiwola, was also beaten to coma penultimate Thursday by suspected thugs of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
However, the outgoing Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of the state command, Prince Udom Ekpoudom, has assured the people of the state of the readiness of his men and officers to curtail any threat to the fragile peace in the state.
Speaking on phone with journalists at the weekend, Ekpoudom disclosed that adequate security measures had been made to forestall any act of breakdown of law and order.
His words: Oyo State is ever ready to protect lives and property and would deal decisively with anybody or groups of people, no matter hoe highly place, who tried or planned to foment trouble", he said.