We Are Not Parts Of Oke’s supporters attack–Akeredolu

The candidate of the All Progressives Congress for the November 26 governorship election in Ondo State, Chief Rotimi Akeredolu (SAN), has denied the allegation that his supporters attacked the supporters of the Alliance for Democracy’s candidate, Chief Olusola Oke.

Akeredolu’s supporters allegedly maimed two of Oke’s men who were reportedly posting the AD’s candidate’s posters in Owo, the headquarters of Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State, on Thursday.

In a statement issued by his media aide, Mr. Kunle Adebayo, Akeredolu described the allegation as a cheap blackmail, saying it was Oke’s supporters that were removing Akeredolu’s posters in his (Akeredolu) hometown, Owo.

He said, “The truth is that the fracas in Owo was a deliberate act of provocation by the supporters of Olusola Oke, who came to Owo to tear off the posters of Akeredolu in some cases and superimpose Oke’s posters upon Akeredolu’s posters in other cases.

“The point is that they were never attacked by our people. It is never our practice to foment trouble. The critical question to ask is why would Akeredolu attack Oke in Owo, which is renowned as the comfort zone of Akeredolu?

“The point must be made again that what happened was an altercation between Oke’s men and Owo people who felt insulted by the apparent effrontery of Oke’s supporters to deface their hero’s posters. I can assure you that our people did not inflict any injury on our opponents.”

He also denied that the victims were taken to Akeredolu’s house after being injured with various weapons, saying, “It is the strategy of Olusola Oke’s campaign organisation to foment trouble in order to gain public attention.”

The APC candidate called on the Commissioner of Police in the state, Hilda Harrison, to investigate the matter.

He also called on his supporters to stay away from violence before and during the forthcoming governorship election.