Election violence: Ondo Governor’s convoy attacked

Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu’s convoy came under heavy attack by political Thugs today, Wednesday September 16, 2020.

According to the report by NPO, an online publication, political thugs suspected to be loyal to the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, Eyitayo Jegede, on Wednesday attacked the Governor’s campaign train while in transit through Oba-Akoko to Ikare-Akoko in Akoko North-East Local Government of the state when the incident happened.

However, the PDP has said it was APC supporters who were in the convoy of Akeredolu that attacked the campaign train of Jegede when both convoys met at Oba-Akoko in Akoko South West.

Speaking on the development, the spokesperson of Akeredolu/Aiyedatiwa Campaign Organisation, Olabode Richard Olatunde, said the attack led to the burning of one of the campaign vehicles in the convoy of the governor, adding that the driver of the vehicle sustained serious bodily injury.

“While we are shocked and saddened by this attack, we are not too surprised, because the PDP has shown that it is not focusing on issues in its campaign for the election. They will rather deploy violence and falsehood to score cheap political points,”  said Olatunde.

Meanwhile, 10 campaign vehicles in the convoy of Jegede were said to have been vandalised in the attack.

It was gathered that Jegede was at the palace of Oloba of Oba, Oba Nathaniel Adegoroye, the traditional ruler of the town, where he had gone to pay homage as part of his campaign visits to the town when the attackers struck.

According to the Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kennedy Peretei, the attackers who were hooded stormed the location after alighting from the convoy of the governor.

Peretei alleged that neither Akeredolu nor the police operatives in the governor’s convoy did anything to stop the attackers.

“Everybody was taken by surprise. Aketi people were passing before they stopped abruptly, and before you could say Jack, these masked men rushed down and started breaking Jegede’s vehicles”, said Peretei.

When contacted, the police spokesperson in the state, Tee-Leo Ikoro confirmed the attack.

He stated that mobile policemen have been deployed to the area on the order of the Commissioner of Police, Bolaji Salami.