The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ekiti State has written a petition to the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, and Director General, Department of State Services, over what it called the wanton destruction of the campaign billboard of its governorship candidate, Dr Kayode Fayemi, in Oye Ekiti, allegedly on the orders of Governor Ayodele Fayose.
Supporters of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, were accused of descending on a huge campaign billboard of APC candidate, Fayemi at St Augustine Secondary School on Wednesday in Oye Ekiti, headquarters of Oye Local Government Area and destroyed it while being cheered by other members of the party.
The APC, in a petition to the Police IG and DG DSS, dated May 23, 2018, accused Governor Fayose of being the mastermind of the destruction of the billboard.
It also called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of those involved in the destruction of the billboard.
The party, in the petition signed by its State Secretary, Mr Paul Omotosho, alleged that the APC and its supporters had been under various forms of attacks by Fayose’s goons since he became governor of the state on October 16, 2014.
It said Wednesday’s attack on the APC candidate’s billboard was allegedly carried out by Chairman Oye Local Government Council, Mr Alonge Sunday; Oye Local Government PDP Chairman, Mr Sunday Ojo; and the Councillor for Oye Ward II, Odeyemi, among others, acting on Fayose’s order.
“Our party members in Oye Ekiti who witnessed the incident yesterday informed us that Governor Fayose who led the campaign team of his deputy and the gubernatorial candidate of the PDP, Prof Olusola Eleka to Oye LGA, directed the local government chairman, Mr Alonge Sunday; Oye LG PDP Chairman, Mr Sunday Ojo; Oye ward 1 Chairman, Ogundele Abiodun; and one Odeyemi who is councillor for Oye Ward II, to destroy Dr Fayemi’s billboard which was erected in front of St Augustine Secondary School, Oye Ekiti, close to the junction towards Isan.
“The above-mentioned PDP officials promptly carried out the Governor’s directive by supervising the destruction of the billboard. It is unfortunate that this barbaric act was carried out in the presence of policemen who could not make any arrest.
“We wish to inform you that we have written several petitions to your office since 2014 till now about various acts of violence of Governor Ayodele Fayose against our members before, during and after elections. It is the character of Governor Fayose to destroy billboards of opposition candidates, sponsor attacks on them and drive many of them out of town so that he would have a field day on election day. This is what he has started again.
“We therefore call on you to use your good offices to bring the above-mentioned persons to book so that we will have a peaceful election on July 14.
“If this act of violence is not nipped in the bud, it can lead to a breakdown of law and order in the state,” the petition read.
