Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, on Monday called on members of the All Progressives Congress in Osun State to support a former Secretary to the State Government, Moshood Adeoti, in Saturday’s governorship primary.
Aregbesola, who declared that the present administration in the state had deviated from the true tenets of the APC, also accused those at the helms of affairs of jettisoning true democracy and the principles which the party and its heroes stand for.
The former governor, who spoke in Ijebu Jesa, Osun state, while addressing members of the APC ahead of the Saturday’s governorship primary election, urged party faithful to work in unison for Adeoti’s victory.
A statement by the minister’s Media Adviser, Sola Fasure, further quoted Aregbesola as saying, “Anyone who was with us when we started the journey to reclaim Osun for the progressives in 2004 would know we fought very hard for this victory we have today. We went through several challenges then but through thick and thin, we were able to succeed. This time around, we will succeed.
“We are ready to allow a free flow of democratic process to interplay here. We are not those who play God. We are resolute about reclaiming our party from those who think they can continue to abuse our legacies or even want us to be second fiddles in the party we worked and laboured for. This is our pride and we will sustain it.
“Let me tell you that God is with us. I urge all of our supporters to come all out and back us. Do not have any fears. We are the authentic APC in Osun. If in Lagos, the governor did not do well and the party decided not to return him for a second term, why can’t it be so in Osun? They know what they have done to us is bad and they want to continue the impunity. We will not accept it.
“Do not be disturbed by their threats. Come out en-masse and vote for our aspirant. In Shaa Allah, Adeoti is the next governor of Osun. We should all support him.”
Meanwhile, there was panic in Osogbo on Monday when Aregbesola’s convoy was passing through Old Garage Area of the state capital.
Some residents and passersby around Fagbewesa, Orisumbare, Oke Fia and MDS areas, who ran in different directions as heavy shooting rented the air, while speaking to our correspondent, could not however state what led to the shooting.
It was learnt that Aregbesola’s convoy was coming from Station Road end of Osogbo and headed to Oke Fia area, around 6: 40pm when the incident, which lasted about 10 minutes, happened.
But the Chairman, World Institute for Peace, a non governmental organisation, Lamina Kamildeen, who claimed to have witnessed the incident, in a Facebook post accused security men attached to Aregbesola of shooting sporadically while passing through Old Garage Area.
Kamildeen, who claimed to be inside Orisumbare market, when the incident happened said “Shooting sporadically by the security men who were in company of the former Governor Aregbesola of the State of Osun in Osogbo today is but a misplacement of priority! No matter what, this is a state you have once governed for a two term tenure.
“Ogbeni needs to know that nothing is sweeter than peace in any given society. Mr. Minister of Interior, you have to apologise to Osun people for many citizens were injured while running for their lives today.
“I am not giving any judgment though, but the shooting was huge and caused a lot of panic. I was getting a perfume inside Orisunmibare.”
