There was commotion in Ife as members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) trooped out today to participate in the ward congress in Ife Central and Ife East Local Governments of the State of Osun.
OSUN DEFENDER learnt that the APC members in Ilare Ward 4 and Iremo Ward 1, Ife Central, were harassed by hired political hoodlums who attempted to chase them away from the collation centres at Ilare Central Primary School, Ilare and L.A Primary School, Ajebamidele respectively.
According to some members of the APC who spoke with the medium, the thugs who were led by a member of the State Universal Basic Education, were shooting and breaking bottles to scare people away.
The APC members said they insisted on having election for the ward congress, while a member of the IleriOluwa group, known as Olajolo who led a faction of the APC members said there would not be election.
A former commissioner for Youth, Sports and Special Needs, Comrade Biyi Odunlade in an interview with OSUN DEFENDER said: “Thousands of APC members gathered at Ilare Central Primary School, Ward 4, to vote for the candidate of their choice in the ward congress. But some thugs came and started harassing and intimidating them. Our people were courageous enough not to be intimidated. They waited and insisted that there must election for the ward congress.
“The police and INEC officials were there too. A member of State Universal Basic Education, Olajolo said there was an instruction from the state that there should not be election for the congress. At the end of the day, we had election for the congress when the hoodlums left. However, the INEC officials told us that they have been instructed to listen to the IleriOluwa group alone, so they did not sign nor collect the congress result.
“The same thing happened in L.A Primary School, Ajebamidele, Ward 1, Ife Central. There was commotion there too.”
Also, a former commissioner for Home Affairs and Tourism in the state, Alhaji Sikiru Ayedun, said the INEC officials told the APC members gathered at their various wards in Ife East Local Government that they had instruction to listen to IleriOluwa group of the APC only.
Ayedun said election was held for the congress and results of each of the wards were handed over to officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
