The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Osun State exchanged accusations on Friday over an alleged plot to disrupt the state assembly elections. In a statement, PDP acting chairman Dr. Akindele Adekunle claimed that former governor Adegboyega Oyetola and APC National Secretary Senator Iyiola Omisore held a meeting to devise a scheme to destabilise the poll across the state. According to the PDP, the APC leaders planned to create chaos in 25 constituencies regarded as PDP strongholds, using tactics such as sporadic gunfire, abductions of leaders, and outright assassinations.
The PDP condemned what it described as “desperation” by the APC, calling the alleged meeting “the height of irresponsibility.” It alleged that the conspirators intended to employ fake policemen, already imported into Osun and distributed throughout PDP strongholds, to carry out the attacks. The statement detailed that the plan targeted the 25 constituencies with gunfire, kidnappings, and, where deemed necessary, killings. It further claimed the conspirators aimed to lay siege to the Ede Federal Constituency—home to the state governor—and to lock down Ife and Ijeshland through violent assaults on PDP leaders and supporters. The ultimate objective, the PDP asserted, was to intimidate voters and ensure maximum disruption of Saturday’s electoral process.
In response, the Osun APC, through acting chairman Mr. Tajudeen Lawal, dismissed the allegations as mere conjecture fabricated by the PDP to manipulate security agencies. The APC statement criticised the PDP for securing a Federal High Court order in Osogbo that restrains the police from arresting political thugs the PDP had allegedly portrayed as its own leaders ahead of the elections. Lawal argued that it is not illegal for two leaders of the ruling party to meet and labelled the accusations as “bunkum” born of imagination.
The APC also warned of a purported PDP plot to deploy fake soldiers and police to harass, arrest, maim, and kill APC members and supporters on election day. Lawal urged the police to recognise that the Osun State chapter of the PDP was accusing the APC of the very actions the ruling party itself was planning to undertake.
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