Suspected thugs loyal to the Ademola Adeleke-led government have been fingered in the cordinated and violent attacks on members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State.
The attacks were targeted at its supporters while they were mounting billboards and pasting posters in support of its governorship candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO.
According to sources, the incidents occurred in multiple locations across the state, including Ilesa, Osogbo and, most recently, Ifon-Osun, Orolu Local Government, raising fears of an escalating campaign of intimidation against opposition supporters ahead of the forthcoming governorship election.
The attacks were, however, described as a deliberate attempt to shrink political space and instil fear among members of APC in the State.
However, political observers have warned that the trend poses a serious threat to peace, democratic participation and public order in the state.
They have consequently called on the Commissioner of Police in Osun State to urgently intervene, investigate the incidents, arrest the perpetrators and guarantee the safety of opposition members and their supporters.
A party member who witnessed one of the attacks alleged that the assailants were heavily armed and operated with impunity.
“They came with stones, bottles and machetes. Some of them were even using charms. Our people had no option but to flee to avoid being killed,” the source said.
Condemning the rising attacks, the Osun APC Restoration Forum had recently described the incidents as part of a sustained pattern of violence directed at APC members, particularly in Osogbo.
The Chairman of the Forum, Hon. Lukman Abubakre, disclosed that several party supporters sustained serious injuries and are currently receiving treatment in hospitals across the state.
Abubakre accused Governor Ademola Adeleke and what he described as a PDP/Accord alliance of promoting political intolerance and turning a blind eye to violence against opposition members, a claim the state government had yet to respond to as of press time.
According to him, denying opposition parties a level playing field amounts to a direct assault on democratic principles and the rule of law.
“The use of violence, intimidation and fear to silence the opposition is the height of political cowardice. Osun State belongs to all political parties and all citizens. No government has a monopoly on political space,” Abubakre said.
Another APC member, who spoke under anonymity for fear of reprisal, accused the state government of using regulatory agencies to frustrate the party’s visibility and cripple its campaign efforts.
The source alleged that the Osun State Signage, and Advertisement Agency (O’Signage) was initially instructed not to approve APC billboards during the Christmas period.
“They deliberately blocked our billboards. It was only after the party escalated the issue that approval was reluctantly granted,” the source claimed.
The latest development has heightened anxiety among political observers and civil society groups, who warn that rising political tension in Osun could spiral out of control if security agencies fail to act decisively as campaign activities set to begin.