Governor of Osun State, Gboyega Oyetola has accused Hon. Lasun Yusuff, the candidate of the Labour Party in the July 16 governorship election of stage managing the reported shooting and attack at his residence in order to blackmail his government and dent his (Oyetola’s) image before the public ahead of the poll.
Recall that Lasun Yusuf had alleged that some unknown gunmen attacked his residence in Ilobu, headquarters of Irepodun Local Government Area of the state and attempted to assassinate him.
According to Lasun, the gunmen started shooting at his house, located at Oke-Ima area of the town around 1:00am on Monday and that they operated for about twenty minutes.
Reacting to the development, Governor Oyetola accused Yusuf of making it look as if there is tension in the state as the election approaches and that there was plan by Yusuf to unleash violence on the people of the state.
Oyetola’s Chief Press Secretary, Ismail Omipidan, while addressing a press conference in Osogbo, said, “Gentlemen, I am sure you’ve been covering election long before now, and I’ve also have the opportunity of covering election, if indeed there was tension in Osun, it is something you will not only see but you will see it, this is less than 7days to election I am not sure their is anxiety or tension anywhere, and so the picture that Hon. Lasun is trying to paint is very unfortunate, Osun remains the most peaceful state in Nigeria and we will do anything as a government to protect and preserve that emblem and status
“The first thing that came to mind is where were his security men? I am aware that as a former deputy speaker, he has security men around him, I am also aware that some of the mobile police men stationed around that same residence on a normal day usually harrass innocent passers-by, so I wonder where they were around 2:30am according to Lasun when they attacked. If indeed there was an attack, was there any attempt to repel the attack? Where were the security operatives?
“In any case, Hon Lasun Yusuf, with all due respect and with all sense of responsibility, is not a threat to our candidate, he is not a threat to our governor. This was the man that contested in primary election with Mr Governor few months ago around February or thereabouts, he couldn’t win Irepodun where he comes from, how can somebody who could not win a local government in a primary election suddenly become a threat to a governorship candidate. From all indications, I see it as an attempt not only to blackmail the government but to paint a wrong picture to Nigerians who are outside Osun.
“On behalf of the government, we are calling on the security operatives to please kindly investigate the allegation by Hon Lasun Yusuff because I am tempted to believe that Hon Lasun Yusuff is planning to unleash violence on the innocent people of Irepodun Local Government on the day of election.
“He is therefore using this as an alibi to prepare a ground on what he wants to do because if we were to be what he’s trying to paint us to be, I am sure that you agree with me that we probably we would have been after the PDP because it is the PDP that has been attacking our supporters, it is the PDP that came out openly to say that the election will be fire for fire, and they follow up with the threat. It is on record where the PDP candidate running for Osun West stated it clearly that supporters should look for guns, cutlass, and stones to attack members of the APC. It is also on record that the House of Representatives candidate of the PDP on air, the video is out there in the public space, claiming that he is expertise in using bomb and grenade to launch attack on people.
“If indeed we are to be violent, if indeed we were to be what Hon Lasun Yusuff is painting us to be, I am sure we will probably would have been after PDP, if we are not after PDP, why on earth should we be after Hon. Lasun Yusuff?
“I want to say again that Hon. Lasun Yusuff should stop painting a false picture, we know how he boasted before the primaries that he was going to win the primaries, and we saw the score, and he was already boasting that he will win this election, maybe he is already preparing excuses why he will lose the forthcoming election, because I am very sure by the grace of God, our candidate, our governor will win come July 16, 2022,” Omipidan declared.
