From Richard Akintade, Osogbo
Osun State chapter of Accord has strongly condemned the gruesome murder of Kolade Oluyera, a member of the party in Ikire, Irewole Local Government, by notorious thugs linked to the All Progressive Congress ,APC, warning that the APC’s resort to violence will not break the people’s resolve to reject it overwhelmingly at the poll.
According to the press statement issued and made available to newsmen in Osogbo on Sunday by, Pastor Victor Akande, Accord Chairman, in the State, “The broad day killing of Kolade Oluyera is callous and barbaric, which has no place in a democratic setting. It is deeply concerning that the Osun APC, upon realising the futility of convincing the people to vote for it in the August 15th gubernatorial election due to its past failing, have chosen violence to scare and force itself on them.
“The pattern is quite visible, and should worry every lover of democracy in Nigeria and beyond on the extent that the Osun APC is willing to go to seize power without the buying of the people. Just a few days ago, campaign billboards erected in Osogbo and other parts of Osun state to project the re-election bid of Governor Ademola Adeleke were vandalised.
“This is desperation at play, and it is important that the whole world is alerted to the reign of terror that Osun APC is visiting on the people in a bid to force itself on them. As a party, we believe every life is sacred and no one’s ambition is worth the life of citizens, and those who choose to kill fellow human being for the purpose of attaining political office has lost every iota of humanity and should be rejected by all.
“While it is quite certain that the Osun APC is pursuing a bloodletting agenda following the reality of its rejection by the people, we maintain that we will explore every lawful means to protect not just our members but the good of Osun state from falling victims of the murderous party.
“In that regard, we want to enjoin security agencies to be alive to their responsibility and protect citizens in line with their constitutional role. We equally call on the security agencies to go after the known perpetrators of the killing of Kolade Oluyera and make them justice without delay, no matter how powerful their backers are.
“We must note that the killing of Kolade Oluyera is not a coincidence, especially given the fact that he is likely to be the Accord polling unit agent in ATILE unit where the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, is a voter, as he had served as PDP in the same unit in the past and uncompromising. Mandate for political office should come from the people, not by spilling their bloods to march on to the seat of power.
“As a party, we express our condolences to the family of Kolade Oluyera, particularly his aged mother, and we want to assure them that we will take every necessary steps, including involving global human rights body, to ensure that those who killed Kolade Oluyera are held to account and justice is served. We want to also warn that those who believe they have to kill to gain power should know that there will always be a time of reckoning, not only on this planet, but in the great beyond”, the statement concluded.
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