The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Accord Party in Osun State have traded accusations over alleged attacks involving their members in the aftermath of Saturday’s governorship election.
The dispute followed the declaration of Governor Ademola Adeleke as winner of the poll by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), with the APC accusing supporters of the ruling Accord Party of unleashing violence against its members and supporters.
Accord rejected the allegation, instead claiming that APC supporters were responsible for attacks against its members.
In a statement on Tuesday, Osun APC Director of Media and Information, Kola Olabisi, raised concerns over what he described as an emerging pattern of post-election violence allegedly linked to supporters of the ruling party.
Olabisi alleged that attacks targeting APC members began shortly after Adeleke was declared winner of the governorship election on Sunday.
He further claimed that local government chairmen associated with the ruling party had entered various council secretariats despite what he described as their “illegal sit-at-home” status.
The APC spokesperson also alleged that some members of the state executive of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) deployed suspected thugs to take control of motor parks in different parts of the state.
The opposition party cautioned that continued violence could threaten public order and create conditions for retaliatory attacks if the situation was not addressed.
It subsequently urged the Osun State Police Command to intensify security operations and ensure the protection of APC members and supporters across the state.
But Accord State Chairman, Victor Akande, dismissed the allegations, saying the party remained committed to peaceful political engagement.
“Accord is not known for hooliganism,” Akande told journalists when contacted by telephone.
Rather, he accused APC supporters of attacking members of Accord, alleging that the police had previously been deployed against members of the ruling party before, during and after the election.
Akande claimed that several Accord supporters had been attacked and unlawfully detained.
He described the APC’s allegations as propaganda and called on residents to disregard them.
“They are known for their propaganda. They are the ones attacking our members. I didn’t know any of our members attacking their members,” he alleged.
The Accord chairman reiterated that the party was committed to peace, while attributing Adeleke’s victory to what he described as the overwhelming backing of Osun residents.
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